What is Happiness?
by GengaJupite
Summary: COMPLETE! Since his journey 17 years ago, Isaac has had a difficult time managing his love life, eventually leading to his depression. Now trying to raise a three-year-old Matthew, Isaac reflects on the past leading up to this point and is forced to wonder: what is happiness? Post Lost Age, Pre Dark Dawn. Mudshipping (bits of valeshipping and flameshipping too).
1. Sadness

Alright, my first legit fanfic for the site! Hopefully this goes over well, and I can keep on writing more in the future.

Anyways, this story is sorta my take on the canon between TLA and Dark Dawn.

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun or any of its characters. If I did, then there would be no question of whether DD should have a sequel.

So here we go!

* * *

The cool, autumn sun rose over the peaks of the Goma mountain range, illuminating the somewhat barren land surrounding the now active Mt. Aleph's large vicinity. Despite the rising of the sun, it was already late in the morning, and things were bustling over at the lookout cabin on Goma Plateau.

The cabin looked like a serene place where one could safely view the hazardous activity of Mt. Aleph from afar, but on this day it was a hectic place. From outside the cabin, one could hear the screaming of children…

"**Ouch, Tyrell! That hurts!"** shrieked a young girl. "Let go of my hair!"

"But it's such a weird colour," replied the young boy known as Tyrell, still gripping Karis's ponytail. "You're the only person who has green hair."

Three-year-old Matthew had been playing peacefully with his friends before, but had stopped when his best friend had impulsively grabbed Karis's hair. "Tyrell don't! She'll tell on you!"

"Fine," answered Tyrell. Sighing, he released Karis from his grip, and was immediately pushed over by her.

"I'm still gonna tell on you!" She chanted, running down the hall into the other room.

"Oh n-no, Matthew," Tyrell stuttered, tears beginning to form in his eyes, "w-w-what am I gonna do? My d-dad is gonna be mad, and he'll t-take away my t-t-toys!" Sobbing, he started to push his blocks, trains, stuffed djinn, and other toys under the couch in a feeble, toddler-minded attempt to hide them, thinking that his father would not be able to take them away.

Matthew didn't know what to say to him. He wasn't much of a talker, but Karis and Tyrell could usually pick up on what he was getting at with a simple facial expression. _After all,_ he mused, _he was a big boy, and big kids understood each other like grown-ups did._ He could hear Karis being a tattletale from where he was sitting. His lips curved up into a smirk. Tyrell and Karis were always bickering with each other, so rather than take sides with one of them, Matthew liked to stay out of their affairs and watch the madness unfold.

"Uncle Garet," she whined, "Tyrell was being mean and he pulled my hair. Then he said it was a weird colour." She was using her innocent voice to make him sympathize with her.

"Well, Karis, that doesn't sound very nice at all," Garet replied, his voice deep and booming. "Why don't we go have a chat with him together? Maybe then you three can start playing nice again, okay?"

"Okay Uncle Garet!" Truthfully, she just wanted to see what kind of trouble Tyrell would get into, and the two boys knew it.

The wooden floor creaked as Garet and Karis began walking out of the other room to speak with Tyrell. Matthew could see that Tyrell was afraid. His breathing became quick and panicky while he desperately began to shove his toys into hiding spots: under the couch, under the rug, behind the bookshelf, anywhere he could think of. As they were getting closer, Tyrell suddenly got an idea. He raised his hands in front of the large remaining number of his toys, and turned to Matthew. Matthew had an idea of what the grinning boy was thinking of doing, and nodded in approval.

"I'm gonna do it this time, Matthew! If our dads can do it, then we can too!" With that Tyrell scrunched his face up and tried to concentrate. "MOVE!" he shouted, but the toys stayed in place. "Huh? I said move! Movemovemovemovemove!" he shouted frantically, but the toys wouldn't budge.

Matthew was pretty certain that this wouldn't work because neither of them had successfully performed psynergy before. Although Matthew wasn't bothered by his current lack of power, Tyrell was always frustrated by the fact that he couldn't do anything simple like move a pebble with his mind. It didn't help that Karis had already shown that she could blow leaves around in little twisters; something she constantly did to annoy Tyrell. Matthew suddenly had an idea for Tyrell to use when-

"Tyreeeeeeelllllll!" came Karis's cheerfully mischievous voice; interrupting Matthew's train of thought and making him forget his idea. "Your daddy has something to say to you!"

Tyrell's face went ghostly white as he slowly raised his head to look at them. Wide-eyed and shaking, he gulped and slumped back into a sitting position. Karis smirked at him with an extremely smug look of triumph on her face. Garet stood cross-armed, staring at his son; noticing the mess he had made around the room. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, the front door opened.

Isaac stepped in, head down, adorning his trademark yellow scarf and a large blue trench coat that he had acquired some time ago during his travels. Garet, quickly forgetting the matter at hand, turned to Isaac.

"Hey, Isaac, where've you been all morning? Did you forget that you were supposed to watch the kids while I was finishing that errand for Ivan?"

Isaac glanced up at the scene, but immediately looked back down as he closed the door behind him, "Oh, uh, sorry, Garet…I went over to Patcher's for a bit. I guess I lost track of time." His voice was gloomy, and, as a whole, Isaac was looking rather depressed. Sensing this, Garet decided not to push it any further.

"…Uh, okay then. Just lemme know next time you go out…at least then I can keep an eye on them if I know you're gone."

"Yeah, sorry again," Isaac responded. It was obvious that he had his mind on other things and had simply said that out of instinct. Hanging his coat on the rack, Isaac crept upstairs without saying another word. Everyone's eyes followed him until they heard his footsteps stop, meaning he was in his room. Everyone was silent for a while. It may have only been seconds, but it seemed as though they were standing there for a long time before a light tug on his pant leg brought Garet back to reality.

"Uncle Garet, what about Tyrell?" Karis asked when he glanced down at her. Tyrell glared at her for bringing it back up, but she simply stuck her tongue out at him.

"Huh? Oh right, umm," he pondered for a second, though he was really wondering why Isaac had looked so upset, "Tyrell, don't do it again. And clean up this mess you made."

Karis's mouth dropped open. _That was it?! Tyrell did _two_ bad things and he wasn't getting in _any_ trouble?!_

Tyrell's fearful expression quickly changed into a look of relief. "Okay, Papa, I'll be good now." Garet gave him a half smile, and then turned to go talk with Isaac.

Matthew, who had been quiet through all of this, suddenly hopped off his chair and ran towards Garet before he started up the stairs. "Uncle Garet, what's wrong with my dad?" he asked, tugging at Garet's pant leg.

Garet, slightly bewildered that one as young as Matthew had picked up on it, shook his head unknowingly. "I dunno, buddy. Let's go ask him ourselves," answered Garet, but Matthew was quick to respond.

"No, wait!" shouted Matthew when Garet took a step towards the staircase. "I wanna go talk to him by myself! You can help Tyrell with his psygee."

Garet smiled at Matthew's mispronunciation of 'psynergy' and marveled at his strong determination. _He's surprisingly mature for a three-year-old. Sol, he's mature compared to a seventeen-year-old! I guess he really is his father's son. He's just as stubborn as Jenna too; guess that says a lot about his personality. _ Garet thought to himself, bringing up memories of his adventures with Isaac and the other Warriors of Vale. "Okay Matthew," said Garet, "I'll go play with Karis and Tyrell until you come back. If you need anything, just shout for me."

"Okay, Uncle Garet, I will."

"Well, I better go break those two up now," stated Garet, referring to Karis and Tyrell, who had begun arguing again.

"Haha Karis! I didn't get in trouble!"

"Don't be a butthead, Tyrell!"

"If I'm a butthead, then you're a pooface Karis!"

Garet sighed and patted Matthew on the back before turning back towards the ever-bickering toddlers. Matthew walked towards the staircase and clambered up the steps. When he reached the top, the door to his father's room was cracked open, and Matthew could see his father sitting hunched over on his bed; his head down, eyes glistening, and his hands folded between his knees. Slowly, he toddled over to the door and pushed it open. The blinds on the window were drawn, but it looked as though they had been rattled by the wind too much, and bits of light shone through. There were bottles lying around the room: some old, some fairly new, and one that looked as though it had just been opened. The drawer on his bedside table was open and it contained private documents that looked as though they had been read many times. Isaac looked up at the sound of the door creaking, surprised to see his son instead of Garet.

"Matthew, what are you doing up here?" Isaac asked shakily, wiping his eyes, "Your friends are downstairs. Don't you want to play with them?"

Matthew ignored his father's question. Instead he tilted his head in confusion and sadness. "Dada, why are you crying? Grown-ups aren't a'sposed to cry!"

Isaac was unprepared for his son to say that. Taking a second to regain his composure, Isaac sniffled, "I…I wasn't crying, Matthew. I'm just tired." Isaac knew he shouldn't lie to his son, but Matthew wouldn't know, after all, he was only three.

Matthew wasn't going to give up though. His persistent nature caused him to keep pushing Isaac further, "But Dada, you didn't bring us back something from Mr. Patcher's house! You only go there when you're getting stuff, unless you're sad."

It was true. Isaac typically only went to Patcher's place if he was on business, and he always brought treats back for Matthew and Tyrell. On occasion, though, he had gone there when he was feeling down about some matter or other to get a few drinks, and he didn't bring any treats back on these trips. He never suspected that this was something that his infant son would have noticed.

Before his father could answer, something shiny caught Matthew's eye. He glanced at his father's hands to see what looked like some sort of locket that was glinting in the sun shining through the damaged blinds. A beautiful sea-blue jewel and a different honey-coloured jewel were fit on one side: each forming half of a heart. The other side had a picture of a young Isaac and a girl who Matthew didn't recognize. Cutting off his father Matthew asked, "What's that Dada? I've never seen it before."

Isaac noticed that he was still holding the pendant and quickly stashed it away in his bedside drawer. "It-It's nothing Matthew. Just a…uh…a gift that I received a long time ago." However, Isaac still underestimated Matthew's attention to detail.

"It's a really pretty looking present. Did Mama give you that? Is that who the girl in the picture was? When I see pictures of Mama when she was a kid they didn't look like that girl."

_Damn it!_ Thought Isaac, _I had no idea Matthew could read faces so quickly. I'm so stupid for not putting it away when he came in!_

"No, Matthew, it…it's not from Jenna…your mother I mean…it's from someone else," answered Isaac, pretty unsure of himself and how to continue, "Someone I met a long time ago. The girl in the picture is…well you've never met her before."

"Oh," Matthew responded childishly, "I just thought it would be from Mama because there's a heart in it and mamas and dadas are supposed to love each other, right?"

Isaac was at a loss for words. How could he continue? It was difficult enough to make up a story for why he didn't live with Jenna, but to explain to Matthew that love doesn't always work out seemed like too much for a child to understand. "Matthew," Isaac began, a sensible answer getting caught in his throat, "it's a pretty long story. I don't think that I-"

"A story?!" shouted Matthew, ignoring all other signs of his father's anguish (he is a toddler after all). "I wanna hear it, Dada! You should tell it to everyone!" and with that, Matthew took his father by the hand and started dragging him out the door.

"W-wait a second, Matthew!" Isaac called, but it was no use. Matthew was tugging as hard as he could, and despite the fact that Isaac could have easily stopped him, he didn't want to hurt Matthew by risking him falling down the stairs. So, reluctantly, Isaac followed him down to the hearth where the others were playing.

"Tyrell! Give that block back to me! I was playing with it first!"

"No you weren't, Karis! It was sitting on the floor while you were playing with the djinn stuffies!"

"Yeah but I was using it! Uncle Garet!"

"Oh will you two stop for one second! Please, I'm begging you! Every time I get you to settle down it's 'Tyrell this' and 'Karis that'! I'm getting a headache!"

"But, Papa, Karis started it!"

"No I didn't! Me, Gust, and Breeze were playing and you stole our block!"

"**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH"**

Karis screamed and they stopped fighting immediately: staring in fear at Garet's red face. It seemed that losing his temper with them was the most effective way to make them stop arguing about everything.

"Guys guys!" Matthew exclaimed, bouncing on the spot at the bottom of the stairs. Everyone looked up to see him doing a funny little dance while clutching a rather flustered looking Isaac's hand. "My Dada says he has a story to tell!"

"Wait a second; I never said I would tell it, Matthew! I just said that it was a long story!" Isaac desperately tried reasoning with Matthew. Unfortunately for him, everyone else seemed to be onboard for hearing a long story.

"A story?!" shouted Tyrell. "Oh pleeeeeaaaase, won't you tell us Uncle Isaac?"

"I love stories!" exclaimed a giddy Karis, already jumping up and down. In her excitement, she caused a light breeze to blow in through one of the windows.

"Looks like you're in a pretty tight spot here, Isaac," laughed Garet teasingly, but not wanting to provoke him. "What's this all about, anyways?"

Isaac sighed. He knew that there was no way that this would go over well. If he refused to tell the story, it would upset all the kids, and he couldn't bring himself to do that. If he told the story they probably wouldn't understand how the whole love deal works anyways. _Guess I might as well tell them. Hopefully they won't think about it too much. After all, they're still basically babies._

"Remember that…_thing_ that you-know-who gave me years back?" explained Isaac.

"Oh, now I see," returned Garet after thinking for a moment, his smile fading. "Isaac, you don't have to tell them _that_ story if it's too painful."

"No," Isaac said sternly, "my son deserves to know, even if he may not remember this someday." He looked down at Matthew and ruffled his son's already messy hair. "It's quite a long story, though. Karis, you might not be here for the entire thing."

"Yes I will, Uncle Isaac," Karis answered nonchalantly. "My daddy says he won't be here to pick me up until tomorrow. Uncle Garet said I could sleep in Matthew and Tyrell's room."

"Alright, I guess you should all get comfortable then," started Isaac.

"Wait Dada!" shouted Matthew who ran off and clumsily climbed the stairs. Everyone watched as he slowly inched himself back down, holding the railing bars for support, the locket in hand. "I wanna show my friends so they know why you're telling a story, Dada."

Initially, Isaac tensed up at the thought of them all examining his locket; after all, like Matthew, they knew that Matthew's mother was Jenna. However, he figured that if he was going to tell them an entire story about the subject, they may as well be shown the story's embodiment.

"Oooooooh, it's so pretty!" cooed Karis. "Uncle Isaac, is this a love story?"

Isaac's mouth curled up into a slight smile. "Yes, Karis. I thought you might be interested." He sat down in the single chair facing the couch where his small audience was sitting.

"How romantic!" Karis went goo-goo-eyed and instinctively grabbed Tyrell's hand, leaning her small body against his.

"Yuck!" gagged Tyrell, sticking out his tongue and trying to get away from Karis, but she refused to let go, snuggling up and getting cozy beside him on the couch. "Papa, help me!"

Garet laughed heartily, "Oh, Tyrell, one day you'll be begging for a pretty girl, like Karis, to cuddle by the fireplace with you." Tyrell looked up at him like he was crazy, and faced Isaac again, a discontented frown plastered on his face.

Matthew, holding the locket in one hand and his favourite stuffed djinni, Flint, in the other, sat on the other side of Karis, anxiously waiting for his father to begin the story.

"Well, then," Isaac cleared his throat, "the story begins at the end of our adventure…"

* * *

Obviously, you guys probably weren't expecting to hear a lot about Matthew, Karis, and Tyrell: what with this being a mudshipping fic, but if you read this chapter thoroughly enough, I hope that I made it clear what sort of direction this is going to take.

Also, I realize that it may have seemed strange how fully the kids are speaking and Matthew's intellectual level since they're only three. I guess my answer for that is that I wanted them to be old enough that they knew how to talk, but young enough that they didn't really understand a concept of what love is (except for Karis somewhat). Yeah I know you can't really know love when you're four or five either, but another thing is that I thought the Karis/Tyrell cuddling might seem cuter if they were younger, so sue me.

R&R, but please go easy on me (it's my first fic after all :P)

_-GengaJupite_


	2. Ceremony: A Hero's Home

Well it seems that I had no real plans this weekend other than doing some readings for my English class (sweet life…), so that meant more time for writing this fic!

I have to say, despite only getting one review, it's quite humbling to have people respond positively to my first fic; especially since it hasn't really gone anywhere yet. My thanks to you, **AnriMia24**; you can now go on saying that you were the first person to ever review my work :P

On an unrelated note, I just finished Xenoblade Chronicles the other day, and after 150 hours of gameplay I can honestly say this: Greatest. Game. Ever. I never thought that a game might actually make me feel emotional to a huge extent, but man was I wrong. I feel that my manhood won't be called into question when I admit that I actually thought I might cry when "Beyond the Sky" started playing in the ending scene. I don't think I've ever felt nostalgic about a game five minutes after finishing it since TLA, so good on you, Monolithsoft. Honestly if you haven't bought this game and you own a wii, you have yet to own the single greatest RPG; yes, even better than Golden Sun (never thought I'd say that).

Anyways, enough of my ramblings.

Disclaimer: Own Golden Sun, I do not. Owned by Camelot, it is.

* * *

Home. It was a sight Isaac and his companions thought they may never see again. It was a marvelous sight to behold, and the adepts were glad to be in a welcoming place after all of their hardships.

Following the destruction of Vale, Felix proposed that instead of relocating all the citizens, they should rebuild their lost hometown. Everyone agreed to his idea, and the plan was set in motion. Had it not been for the assistance of Kalay and Vault, they would not have completed their task in such a short period of time. Two years later, the official completion of New Vale was marked in the pages of Angarian history. Of course, they had the insight to build it on a mountain farther away from Mt. Aleph.

On this particular day, the citizens had gathered around the very large sanctum at the northern end of New Vale. The Great Healer had proclaimed that the warriors deserved to be rewarded for their efforts in a most honourable way: knighthood. Because New Vale was a theocracy and not a kingdom, it seemed fitting that the Great Healer should knight them in the sanctum.

The crowd filed in and took their seats when the doors were opened. Everyone was dressed in the best clothes they had. Some of these were not very formal, considering the destruction of their old home; however, no one seemed to mind, and everyone remained in high spirits.

Outside, Isaac nervously awaited the signal to enter with the rest of his companions. He had insisted that they should dress more formally, but the Great Healer told him that that would not be necessary: stating that it would be more appropriate if the villagers could see exactly what their heroes looked like when they lit the final beacon.

"Isaac, you really need to calm down," said Jenna, noting his apparent nerves.

"Yeah, man! What're you so worried about anyways? We're heroes!" piped in an enthusiastic Garet.

"I know, I know," returned Isaac to his two old friends. "Honestly, I don't really know what I'm getting so worked up about. I just feel like this is too much, you know?"

"Nonsense," Ivan stated. "The fact of the matter is, Isaac, that we performed great deeds under both your and Felix's leadership."

"And," interjected Sheba, cutting Isaac's reply off, "we also managed to save Jenna and Felix's parents and your father."

"I'd say that's no small feat for a simple knighting ceremony! Wouldn't you agree, Felix?" said Piers.

Felix smiled, a more common sight since their return home, and turned to Isaac. "I can empathize with Isaac. I, too, think that this whole ceremony is a little too much." The other adepts groaned. "That being said, I think it would be disrespectful not to accept their reward. We owe it to ourselves and all of Weyard to humbly accept this prestigious award."

Isaac blushed slightly, staring at his feet. _Felix is right, _he thought to himself. Sometimes he forgot that Felix was only a year older than himself. His wisdom far outmatched that of Isaac's. It was foolish of him to think that they were undeserving of what they were about to receive; however, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was still much too extravagant. _I don't truly deserve this honour._ _For Venus' sake, I spent half of my adventure trying to stop the ones who were doing the right thing! Felix deserves this honour, not me_. He felt a soft hand rest on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Isaac," came a serene voice. Turning his head, he looked to Mia, their blue eyes meeting each other as she reassured him. "You don't need to feel nervous. You led us across the world, and selflessly protected all of us along the way. It was you who confronted Felix, and helped rejoin our two groups, and it was you who selflessly encouraged us keep going when the journey seemed impossible."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Isaac was speechless, but he smiled nonetheless. Mia always knew what to say to him, whether it was about their adventure or something vastly different like his thoughts of Jenna. "Thanks, Mia," he said quietly. She smiled back to him, taking her hand off his shoulder. She was a spectacular friend.

"Oh, there's the drums!" said Jenna, snapping Isaac out of his thoughts. "That's our cue to go in!" She affectionately held his arm and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Isaac took a deep breath, calmed that his friends were there with him, and happy that he could share this moment with Jenna. The doors opened and they walked down the centre with pride.

When they reached the front, the eight companions stood side by side and knelt before the Great Healer. Having rehearsed this several times before, the adepts each stood in pairs beside his their respective elemental partners: Ivan and Sheba, Piers and Mia, Garet and Jenna, and Felix and Isaac. The Great Healer, adorned in an extravagant gold-lined silver cassock, smiled and raised his ceremonial staff, which was said to be blessed with the powers of Luna.

"Today," he began, speaking in a melodious tone, "we celebrate the heroic deeds of the heroes of Weyard. It is because of their actions that our world will live on for many ages to come!" He paused as the citizens of New Vale applauded. Now beaming, he continued, "Yes, yes, it is because of them that our beautiful village has been rebuilt as well. Words cannot express my feelings of gratitude for these warriors, and how honoured I feel to bestow upon them this most prestigious rank."

Lowering his staff, he stepped over to the end of the row at which the two young Jupiter adepts were kneeling. Beginning with Ivan, the Great Healer lightly tapped each of his shoulders with his staff and proclaimed his rank, "Rise, Sir Ivan: Sorcerer of Winds." Ivan stood up, blushing slightly as he faced the Great Healer. Now being seventeen, he was more mature, but everyone could tell that it was a strange feeling for one so young to be referred to as 'Sir'.

Moving along, the Great Healer repeated this process for Sheba. "Rise, Dame Sheba: The Tempest Sorceress." When both of them had risen, he gave them a blessing, "May the winds of Jupiter grant you fortune in your travels." They each bowed, and turned to face the crowd, beaming with pride.

Continuing the ceremony, he moved along to the Mercury adepts, patiently awaiting their turns to be knighted. Again tapping each of their shoulders, he dubbed them, 'Admiral Piers: Captain of the High Seas' and 'Lady Mia: The Healing Angel of Imil'. Also allowing them to rise, he blessed them, "May the serenity of Mercury grant peace to your souls." They, too, bowed and turned. Rather than continuing on to Garet (who seemed to be getting more impatient by the minute), the Great Healer once again raised his staff and recited, "These are the knights of Luna! May her love protect them in times of despair!"

"Hear, hear!" shouted the crowd, clapping for the newly knighted adepts.

Without dallying, the Great Healer handed his ceremonial staff to the mayor, Garet's grandfather, and exchanged it for an equally extravagant ceremonial rapier, inscribed with the powers of Sol. Continuing the process in the exact same way, he allowed the Mars adepts to rise as 'Sir Garet: Hero of Flames' and 'Dame Jenna: The Fiery Justice'. "May the passion of Mars grant you happiness to match your tempers." Some chuckles sounded from the audience while the two Mars adepts blushed at the Great Healer's somewhat humourous blessing.

Finally, he had reached the last two adepts. The leaders of the group had been reserved while they waited for the Great Healer to bestow this great honour upon them. Just as before, he stepped before Felix and tapped his shoulders. "Rise, Lord Felix: Protector of Weyard, and Slayer of Darkness." Felix stood up, his expression unfaltering from its usual stern expression. Though he was extremely good at hiding it, Isaac could sense that Felix was incredibly proud to be named a Lord in the eyes of Vale's leader. Still unable to completely quell his nerves, Isaac flinched slightly at the rapier's touch. "Rise, Lord Isaac: Master of Earth, and Slayer of Evil." Incredible. To be named the 'Master of Earth' by New Vale's highest authority was the greatest honour Isaac could ever dream of receiving. He rose and faced the Great Healer, as everyone else had. "May the embrace of Venus grant you further steadfast leadership in your future endeavours." Isaac humbly bowed with Felix and faced the citizens.

Without missing a beat, the Great Healer raised his rapier and proclaimed, "These are the knights of Sol! May his light give them strength in times of need!" Again, the crowd resounded with a 'hear, hear' to cheer for the newly proclaimed knights. Now holding the Luna Staff and Sol Rapier in each hand, the Great Healer stepped to the centre of the row to finish his ceremony.

"Indeed, without the bravery of these warriors our world would be lost inevitably! We are grateful beyond words for what they have done and I believe that it is only appropriate that they shall be hereby known as the Warriors of Vale!"

An enormous cheer erupted from the crowd, and the adepts, including Felix, couldn't help but smile as their friends and family roared in happiness over their achievements.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Isaac stood on the bridge outside the sanctum, staring into the sparkling water as it rippled from the small waterfall just above. It was nearly sunset, and the way the orange sparkles bounced off of the water was quite the sight to behold.

_Wow,_ he thought to himself, _Lord Isaac. Never in my wildest fantasies did I dream I might someday be a lord! Knight, perhaps, but never a lord. _An elderly couple passed by, congratulating him as they went. He watched as they walked towards their new home, hand in hand. He was extremely grateful that he had gotten to help rebuild the village for good people like them, and secretly he envied their long lasting relationship with each other. It was times like this that he was glad to share his experiences with Jenna. After chasing her around the world, Isaac knew that she was the one he wanted to be with. Her fiery passion was what drew him in, and despite her slightly unpredictable temper, he loved her for it all the same. He felt a pair of arms circle around him from behind. _Well speak of the devil_. He smiled and turned his head slightly to see the brunette who had wrapped her arms around his torso.

"What're you doing up here, all by your lonesome?" asked a familiar voice, "Everyone's down at the inn setting up for the party."

"I just came here to think," He replied, turning around so that he could return her embrace. She quickly replaced her arms to hug around his neck so that he could place his own around her waist.

"Well at least you aren't getting into trouble," she said. "I don't think Garet ever stops to think. Ever! That's probably why he's always getting into trouble."

He chuckled, thinking about all the times the three of them had gotten into trouble due to Garet's lack of foresight. "Well," he started, "we can't give Garet _all_ the credit. I seem to recall an incident involving a charity breakfast at the old orphanage."

"H-hey! We promised never to bring that up again!" she said, stifling a giggle while lightly smacking his arm. "It wasn't my fault that food caught on fire! It was just taking too long to cook was all." Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk, "And to think I came all this way here to give you something nice."

Isaac smiled and decided to play along. Making a mock expression of guilt, he fake pleaded, "Oh no, I'm sorry, Jenna. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. How can I ever make it up to you?"

Laughing, she pulled him in closer and whispered seductively into his ear, "Maybe this will work," and she pressed her lips to his in a long, passionate kiss. How he relished these moments where he could privately spend time with Jenna. Felix could tolerate their relationship, but he definitely didn't like it when he could see them acting like a couple, and Garet never seemed to stop pestering them when they were together. Still, it was moments like these that Isaac felt made all of the disapproving glares and bad jokes worth it. They pulled away and stared into each others' eyes.

"So," he grinned, preparing himself for what he was about to say, "What was that nice thing you wanted to give me, because if that was it then I'm a little disappointed."

Jenna laughed and smacked his shoulder. "You jerk! Now I really won't give it to you!" He could see she was joking though, as she began to loosen her grip on him. Unraveling her arms, she reached into the small purse she had brought and pulled out a red neckerchief. "Ta-da!" she said handing it to him. "What do you think?"

Isaac inspected it carefully. While it was just a plain red colour, it was made with very good material, and he was rather impressed. Scarves were really more of his style, but he could pull off a neckerchief just as well. "It's great, Jenna! Did you make this yourself?"

"Mm-hmm," she said smugly, grinning while rocking back and forth on her heels.

He pulled her in for another quick kiss. "Has anyone ever told you how wonderful you are?"

"Only you like a zillion times."

He laughed at that, realizing that he had probably said it countless times. "Don't ever change, Jenna."

She smiled back at him, a look of warmth in her eyes. "For you, Isaac, I won't." She quickly gave him another kiss and said, "Well, I better get back to the inn. They need me to help set up the tables." With that she took off back the way she came, leaving Isaac alone with his thoughts again.

Thoughts of Jenna were quickly turned into thoughts of their adventure and all the people they had met along the way. It was strange to think that they had not known most of these people until about two years ago. There was Piers, the gallant Lemurian sailor, who they had met simply because he was already travelling with Felix. He was very friendly, and the group had instantly gotten along with him. Then there was Sheba, who was a lot like Ivan: quiet for most of the time, but mischievous when the moment was right. Even Ivan, who had been travelling with them since basically the beginning, hadn't been someone they knew until meeting him in Vault shortly after Isaac and Garet had left Vale. Then there was Mia. _Mia,_ Isaac thought to himself, a warm smile coming to his face. _I remember the first day we met her. We didn't do much, but somehow our destinies became intertwined with each other._ She had kept the group going in many tough situations; healing them when need be, but also proving to be no slouch on the battlefield. Isaac smiled inwardly. _Any guy would be lucky to have her. She's smart, pretty, always knows the right things to say, and she always looks out for her friends. I can't think of a better friend than her._ She was quite unlike Jenna in almost every way. While Jenna was feisty, outgoing, quick to voice her opinion, and sometimes a little temperamental, Mia was the exact opposite: shy, reserved, and always thinking of others. It was these things that made Isaac glad he had met her.

"Hello Isaac," came a voice from behind him.

_Man I must be turning into a Jupiter adept_, Isaac thought jokingly to himself. He turned around to face the girl he had been thinking about only moments ago.

There she stood, basking in the radiance of the setting sun. It was a wonder that he hadn't noticed how beautiful she was before, seeing as he had virtually spent half a year travelling across Weyard with her, not to mention the past two years that she had spent helping rebuild New Vale. Her azure hair and pale blue dress flowed gently in the soft breeze. Though she had a naturally pale complexion, it was complemented by the dimming light of the sunset. _She looks stunning_ he thought, knowing he was safe to think that without Ivan or Sheba around to accidentally pick up on one of his stray thoughts.

"Hey Mia," he replied casually. "I thought you were helping them down at the inn."

"I was," she answered calmly; her voice was serene. "I came up because they had enough help without me." She walked gracefully over to where Isaac was standing and leaned on the rail next to him. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The way the sunset gets reflected off the water."

He paused for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. "Yeah," he said, not really knowing how else to respond. "It's just like the pond in the old village, except this one's way bigger."

"Mm," she replied, still staring at the rippling water. They were both quiet for a while, staring at the water. It was not an awkward silence, but a calming one. Mia had that effect on people where she could easily make them feel at ease, even when things were getting tense. Isaac began getting lost in thought again when she broke the silence.

"This is nice, don't you think? We've been constantly busy with tasks for the last two and a half years, and we – at least I – haven't really had a chance to relax like this for quite some time."

"I'd have to agree with you on that one. Everyone's been so busy making sure that everything gets finished that it's hard to imagine getting any time to just stop and think. Luckily, the construction's all done now, so maybe we can kick back and get back to our old lives."

"That would be pleasant." She smiled that peaceful smile of hers. "It's a bit sad to think of though," she said, suddenly changing the tone of their conversation. "Now that New Vale's been finished, it only makes sense that the rest of us should head back to our own homes."

Isaac's face dropped when she mentioned that. "Oh yeah, I guess I had gotten so used to you guys being around that I didn't really think about the fact that you'd have to go home eventually." He was downtrodden. The friends he had grown so close with would all be leaving to their individual homes within the week now that the town was basically standing on its own now. "I didn't even realize how many of you would be leaving us either. I'll miss all of you too much: Ivan, Sheba, Piers, and you most of all Mia."

_Oh crap,_ he kicked himself mentally,_ did I actually just say that?! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Isaac scratched the back of his neck sheepishly; smiling awkwardly while attempting to play it off like he hadn't said anything out of the ordinary. However, Mia didn't seem to mind. She turned to him and smiled warmly. "That's sweet of you to say, Isaac. I'm sure that I'll miss all of you greatly as well."

He sighed in relief. _At least she didn't get uncomfortable about it. I'd better be more careful about slip-ups like that happening again._ For a moment they didn't say anything. Just staring into each others' eyes seemed to be enough for the both of them.

"Isaac! Mia! The party's gonna start soon!" Came Jenna's clear shout from below. Isaac quickly shifted his focus away from Mia, praying that Jenna hadn't seen that. It was a simple friendly exchange of looks, but he didn't want Jenna to misinterpret that. Blushing, he stole another quick glance at Mia. To his surprise, she seemed to be blushing as well. Perhaps she was thinking the same thing as he had been.

"We'll be down in a sec, Jenna!" he called back to her. Good, it looked as though she hadn't seen that semi-awkward stare he and Mia had just shared. She nodded in approval and ran back towards the inn, crashing into Garet as he rounded the corner. A soft giggle came from beside him and he looked to see Mia slightly covering her mouth, looking at the scene that had just unfolded. Isaac chuckled as well, watching Jenna yell inaudible things at Garet, eventually smacking him over the head.

Turning back to Mia, Isaac said in a playful manner, "Well then, my Lady Mia; would the Angel Healer of Imil care to walk with me to the celebration?"

She giggled again. _What a cute laugh she has._ "Why certainly, my Lord Isaac," she returned just as playfully. "I would be honoured if the Master of Earth safely escorted me there."

"Then let's be on our way before it gets too dark," he laughed. "After you," he added, gesturing for her to go by.

"My, how chivalrous of you!" She giggled again and began heading towards the inn. He followed soon after, and they walked down together: Two very close friends.

* * *

Now I can probably guess what some of you readers are gonna be thinking. "Hey, this is a mudshipping fic! What's with all the Isaac/Jenna mush?! I came here to read genuine mudshipping and blah blah blah blah rage rage rage…" Honestly, it's only chapter two of the story and I'm not anywhere close to the end, so don't expect that things will be like this forever.

Also, I hope that Isaac didn't come off as a sleaze ball at any point because he was complimenting Mia so much (especially right after his meeting with Jenna). I realize that he and Jenna are together right now, but I wanted to show that there was some small hint of infatuation between him and Mia, even though they're just friends. In life, at least in my own, I've found that you can be attracted to other friends while dating someone at the time. It doesn't make you a scumbag, it just means that you have attractive friends and are fully aware of it. Just be smart enough not to try anything while you're with someone else because your thoughts are private, your actions aren't.

…Gotta stop rambling in these things…

Please R&R!

_-GengaJupite_


	3. Departure

Hey everybody! Sorry it's been a longer time than usual, but what can I say: school sucks. You know what sucks even worse? Course selection. You know what sucks even worse than that? Full classes. But enough about my unfortunate first year undergrad life, I'm sure that the worst is yet to come.

And to my two reviewers, thank you for your support!

**jaime: **As for right now, I don't have any plans for Ivan, but there is a bit of romance that Garet will be involved in. For the most part the story will revolve around Isaac since it's technically supposed to be him recounting his story to the kids.

**AnriMia24: **Haha I'm glad to see such an avid mudshipper appreciating my story. Though it was strange for me writing Isaac/Jenna mush, I think it was necessary; after all, they _are_ the ones in the relationship. However, you'll be happy to know that that was probably the fluffiest chapter for the two of them. It was all for the sake of story progression

Now for more blatant Xenoblade advertising… watch?v=9iPQP7aDe_Y. Listen and be amazed. The raw emotion for this song was a perfect way to end the game. It doesn't contain any spoilers so if you're planning on playing it, don't worry about that.

Anyways, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun!

* * *

"_None of us were looking forward to it, but the day had finally come when our friends would have to leave. The entire village was there, but they dispersed a bit for us to make our way towards Ivan, Sheba, Piers, and Mia. Everyone was sad to say their-"_

"_Wait Uncle Isaac!" said Karis, interrupting his story._

"_Hmm Karis? Were you confused about something?"_

"_No, but I have a question. Is Miss Mia the girl in the picture with you?"_

_Isaac stopped briefly. He had not been telling the story in explicit detail because he knew that it may have gotten confusing for their young minds to comprehend. __Karis was a very smart girl. Perhaps it was her Jupiter intuition, for they knew that she didn't have the power to actually read minds. _Carefully deciding upon a response to Karis, Isaac answered her.

"_Well Karis, maybe she is, maybe she isn't. You'll just have to keep paying attention to the story to see if you're correct." He smiled as she huffed and slumped back onto a still unhappy-looking Tyrell._

"_Keep going, Dada! I wanna hear about your friends!" shouted Matthew. He was excited to hear about all the adults he knew now as they were in their younger years._

_Clearing his throat again, Isaac continued, "Where was I? Ah yes, the parting. Everyone was sad to say their goodbyes on that dreadful day…"_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Do you really have to go so soon?" sounded Jenna's voice, on the brink of tears. "It's only been a week since we finished New Vale."

"I'm sorry, Jenna," said Ivan, a solemn but comforting tone in his voice. "We all agreed that it would be best not to linger any longer than we should. We feared that all of you may grow too attached and never let us leave."

"Man, this sucks," muttered Garet, kicking a pebble into the nearby stream.

"I feel very fortunate to have met you all," said Piers, trying to stay positive. "It's been a pleasure watching you mature over our short time together." Sometimes they forgot that Piers was probably old enough to be an elder to Kraden.

"I couldn't have asked for a better group of friends to have met on our journey," Mia added, her soothing voice washing over them all. "We'll be sure to visit when we can. Think of this not as goodbye, but a temporary parting."

Isaac was downtrodden. Knowing that many of his closest friends were about to leave their village, for at least a number of years, was very saddening. He knew this day would come, but was still pained to hear them say goodbye.

"Felix, are you coming?" asked Sheba. Jenna, Garet, and Isaac looked up in surprise at the twenty-year old brother of Jenna. Felix gave them a sheepish look of guilt, realizing that he had forgotten to tell them.

"I…uh…guess I never told you guys…" he began, scratching at the stubble on his chin, "I'm taking Sheba back to Lalivero myself. I thought it would make sense since she's got the longest journey ahead of her. I should probably make amends with Faran…you know…with the whole kidnapping and all…"

"Y-you're really leaving us too?" squeaked Jenna, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Isaac moved to comfort her, but Felix was one step ahead of him.

"It's all right, Jenna," he said barely above a whisper while rubbing her back gently. "Don't cry for me. I'll be back in a few months. I just have to make sure that she gets there safely; there's no telling what kind of dangers are out there now with the release of Alchemy."

"Dammit, I was hoping that we might have a little more time together," grumbled Garet. Having no other way of expressing his sorrow, he simply kept his head down and stared at his feet.

There was a brief silence as all the adepts faced each other; Felix now standing beside Sheba at the entrance gate. No one said a word, and they hardly realized the rest of the town standing around them. The sound of children and a few other townspeople crying was all that could be heard. Kyle, Dora, Garet's parents, and Jenna's parents quietly stepped out to their respective children.

"Well, I suppose now would be the time to say your goodbyes," said Kyle, realizing that they needed a little push to continue.

"Yes," added Dora, placing her hand on Isaac's shoulder, "the longer you let this go on, the harder it will be to say what you need to." Garet and Jenna's parents nodded in agreement, murmuring similar things to their own children.

"I guess," Isaac started, a lump in his throat forming, "this is farewell." He approached Ivan, extending his hand: the two shared a brotherly embrace. Out of the corner of his eye, Isaac could see Garet and Jenna doing the same with their other companions, while Felix and his parents quietly discussed his journey to and from Lalivero.

"Don't fret, Isaac," Ivan spoke strongly. "Kalay is only a four day journey by caravan. I'm sure I'll be seeing you plenty with all the trading we'll be doing."

Isaac looked at him, surprised. "You aren't going back to Contigo with Hama?" he asked. "I thought you wanted to return home to learn more of your background as a descendent of Anemos."

Ivan smiled to him, "I'll be going back there someday. I don't quite think I'm ready to settle there yet. Maybe once things from the Golden Sun event have calmed down I'll head back there."

Nodding to show that they understood each other, Isaac shook his hand once more and stepped towards Sheba. When he hugged her he had to bend down a bit so she wouldn't have to stand on her toes to get to his height. He smirked as he imagined how she was going to manage an embrace from the much taller Mars adept.

"Good luck with your future, Isaac," Sheba said as they hugged. "I know you'll be successful."

They pulled away from each other and continued moving down the line. Facing Felix, Isaac couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable looking into the stern eyes of his once, former enemy. Shaking his hand, they gave each other a look of understanding. "Take care of my sister," said Felix. Though he probably hadn't meant it, Isaac thought he caught a small threat in that statement. Only saying to Felix that he would, and to be safe on his own journey, Isaac continued over to Piers.

Rather than embracing him, Piers and Isaac placed their right hands on each other's left shoulder and grasped the other's left elbow. This had been something that Piers had told them was a customary sign of friendship among Lemurians.

"Where will you go now, Piers?" asked Isaac, still firmly locked in their stance. "You can't return to Lemuria until your banishment is lifted."

"Well Isaac," said Piers, hesitating a bit before replying, "I am old compared to you, but as Lemurians go I am relatively the same age as Felix. My thirst for adventure will never be quenched until I have seen every inch of Weyard. I suppose you could say that I, like the others, am also going home. Home to the sea, for the sea is my calling: my one true home."

Isaac smiled, happy to see his newest friend chasing his dream of becoming a worldwide adventurer. Nodding to show that they understood each other, they dropped their hands, and Isaac moved to the last person in the line: Mia. How he had dreaded saying goodbye to the one whom he considered his closest friend on this journey. Isaac could feel his eyes water a bit as he stood in front of the girl he had become so close with. It was strange. He had shared a bond with her that rivaled his bond with even Garet and Jenna. Unexpectedly, she took his hands in hers and a faint blue glow illuminated from her palms. She looked him in the eye and smiled sweetly. She had cast ply, Isaac figured; though he wasn't hurt, the cooling Mercury psynergy had a soothing effect that traveled up through his arms to the rest of his body, relaxing him as it went. He returned her smile, and she let go of his hands so they could hug each other. A single tear escaped his eye as he held her close to him, noting the sweet scent of her hair: fresh rain on a grassy plain. They stood like that for a long time, frozen like statues in an inseparable embrace.

"I can't believe you're leaving," he whispered, "I wish you didn't have to go. You're my best friend, Mia."

Mia sniffled. Was she crying? He didn't want to check if it meant letting go of her. "Oh, Isaac, don't be so upset. We can always stay in touch. I'll write to you as soon as I get home, I promise." She loosened her grip around him so they could look into each others' eyes. Her blue irises watered, giving them the appearance of rippling ponds. Another tear slowly rolled down his cheek, but Mia quickly brought up her hand to brush it off for him. "Jenna will think you've gone soft if you keep acting like this," she added, chuckling, a few tears rolling down her own cheeks. He hadn't meant to ruin her beauty with tears, but was secretly glad that she was crying. It showed him that she cared for him a great deal, as he did for her.

"Mia," he started, blinking to stop his eyes from watering anymore.

"Yes, Isaac?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Anything. What is it?"

He stopped for a second. The words were getting caught in his throat. It was a foolish request, but he felt it was necessary for her to hear the words. "Promise me you won't…won't forget about me…or any of us," he quickly added to avoid any awkwardness.

She smiled sadly, eyes twinkling as she answered him, "Of course. I couldn't forget you if I tried."

He returned her smile and squeezed her tightly before forcing himself to pull away. Unbeknownst to him, a cross-armed Jenna was looking over at them, as everyone else had finished their goodbyes already.

"Goodbye Mia."

"Until we meet again Isaac."

Isaac, Garet, and Jenna all backed away towards their parents. _This must have been how Mom and Garet's family felt the day we left for our adventure. _Waving their arms, the three friends watched as their travelling companions marched out the gate and down the path leading out of New Vale. The crowd began to disperse until only the three of them remained desolately staring out the archway.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Just leave me alone, Isaac!" Jenna shouted from behind her front door. He was having a hard time understanding what had happened. One minute the three of them had been staring out the arch, the next Jenna was running home crying. When he asked Garet what was wrong, he got a shrug and an equally confused look for his answer. He knew she had been upset to see them leave, but Jenna wasn't one to get so emotional about something like a farewell. Not wanting to waste another moment thinking about it, he took off after her. However, when he reached her house, she had refused to let him in, literally keeping him locked out from her.

Isaac, naturally confused and upset from both the departure and Jenna's sudden outburst, walked around to the stairs leading away from her house and sighed as he sat on the bottom step. A few minutes later, Garet came slowly bumbling up towards him.

"Yo, Isaac," he said in a mildly concerned tone, "did you find out why Jenna was so upset?"

Isaac looked up at him for a moment, but immediately focused his gaze back in front of him; resting his chin between his palms. "Does it look like I did?"

"I dunno, man. She was pretty upset, so even if you did find out you'd probably still look just as sad as you do right now," he stated quite matter-of-factly.

Sighing again, Isaac let one hand drop. "I guess that makes sense. Well no, I didn't find out why she was upset. When I knocked on her door to ask, she yelled at me to leave her alone and locked the door."

Garet pondered for a moment, scratching his head and rubbing his chin while looking to the sky as if for an answer. "Hmm, just throwing it out there as an idea, but what if...nah that doesn't sound like Jenna."

Isaac was genuinely confused now. "Wait, tell me anyways. It may sound dumb, but maybe she _is _mad for whatever reason you're thinking."

Garet turned back to the Venus adept, "Well, it may not be the _best_ answer, but maybe she's upset over the extra long farewell hug that you had with Mia. I didn't think Jenna was the jealous type, but maybe..."

Isaac gave him a dumbfounded look that quickly changed into a one-eyebrow-raised smirk. "Heh, you think she's upset over that?! Mia and I are just close friends is all! I was upset to see her leave since we'd been with her for so long."

Garet shook his head in disagreement. "Look Isaac, that's how I saw it, and probably how just about everyone else saw it, too. But Jenna's your girlfriend, and knowing how unpredictable she can be sometimes, I can see why she'd be feeling a little jealous. After all," he added, "it wasn't like you hugged Ivan for a long time, and women just have this weird way of thinking that we, as logically-thinking men, will never understand."

Isaac, despite his grief, snickered at the last comment. "I'm surprised you managed to come to such a straightforward conclusion like that, Garet. And here I thought you were the exception to all logically-thinking men."

Garet grinned back at him, "Watch it, lover-boy. Next time I might not have your back in one of these situations."

Isaac laughed, "Alright, I guess for now I'll give her a bit of space, but I'll try talking to her later when she's feeling a little less…temperamental." With that he got up and started to ascend the staircase. "Garet," he added, stopping on the step he was on.

"Yeah, Isaac?"

"Would you…uh…would you mind talking to Jenna for me? Just for now until she's ready to open up to me. I think it would be better if she had someone to speak to before I try to confront her about it."

"Sure thing, buddy," said Garet, flashing him a thumbs-up. "I'm not the best at talking about emotions and feelings and all that sentimental crap, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," said Isaac, continuing up the stairs. He was glad to have such a good friend like Garet around to pull him out of tight situations. It didn't matter if he was facing a horde of monsters or a temperamental girlfriend; Garet was always there to have his back. Instead of heading back to his house, Isaac passed it by and headed up towards the bridge on the pond. This was his new thinking place, and he decided he would go there as often as he could to let his mind flow freely. It was a relief that he would no longer have to worry about the Jupiter adepts possibly catching a few of his thoughts while he let his mind drift. Leaning on the bridge's railing, Isaac gazed into the water, allowing his mind to wander to his newly separated friends, Garet, and Jenna. He only hoped that everything would turn out okay.

* * *

This one is relatively short compared to the other two (1000 less words than the last chapter! Holy…), but I think that this is an appropriate spot to end this chapter. So, Isaac has left it up to Garet to speak to his distraught girlfriend Jenna, about Isaac's "just friends" relationship with Mia. Quite the kafuffle he's gotten himself into, wouldn't you say? I guess you'll have to stick around if you wanna find out how this all plays out. I'll promise you this; it'll probably start getting more depressing over the next few chapters, so be warned.

As always, please R&R! It makes me happy when I know that people are actually reading my stories, and constructive criticism and feedback are always appreciated.

Until next time,

_-GengaJupite_


	4. Confusion

So I'm going to be kind of evil and let you know how things have been going. With my finals coming up on Dec. 6 and 7 I'm probably gonna be pretty swamped with studying. Also, I've been finishing a chapter ahead of what I've been posting since the end of chapter two…which pretty much means I'm holding back from letting you guys see each chapter as soon as it's finished. Don't kill me :). I think this is a better format anyways; I can post a chapter when the next one is finished, giving me an adequate amount of time to edit the last one, and giving you guys enough time to get up to speed without shoving a whole bunch of crappy unedited chapters in your face.

Thanks to **AnriMia24** and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing. Honestly, I can't say for sure how long this fic is going to be, but these are still the beginning stages. Hopefully you like reading long ish fics :P. **Mr0cheese**, since you are a mudshipper, I'd assume you've already read it, but check out _The Angel and the Slayer_ by Auteur87. It's pretty much the most well known Golden Sun fic out there, but if you haven't read it then you're in for a treat .

Disclaimer: Still don't own Golden Sun

* * *

It was nearly five months before Isaac received his letter from Mia; he couldn't suppress his feelings of joy when the postman came with a letter designated to him. In truth, he hadn't been doing much since their friends had departed. Even after Garet had spoken to her, it took almost two months for Jenna to finally allow him to apologize for what happened that day, and even now they weren't as close as before the incident; so this was a rare moment that he had looked forward to since that day. He knew it was from Mia as soon as he saw the handwriting on the front. 'Isaac, New Vale' it said in very neat curvature. Dropping the other mail on the kitchen table for his parents to see, he bounded up the stairs leading to his room where he could privately read the contents of the letter from his dear friend. Impatient but careful, he opened the envelope so not to accidentally tear the contents within. He took a seat at his desk by the window and happily read the letter.

_Dear Isaac,_

_How are you? It feels like it's been ages since I left New Vale for Imil. I'm sorry it took so long for me to write to you, but the trip took a little longer than I was expecting. It seems as though the land has begun to change since we last journeyed in Northern Angara, and I got lost around Bilibin. Thankfully, Lord McCoy recognized me from the Kolima incident, and had me escorted all the way through Bilibin Cave. One of the soldiers was quite attractive, but I suppose you won't care to hear about that. When I finally reached Imil I realized that the journey had taken nearly three months! Usually it would be a two-month journey on foot, but I think it had to do with the changing landscape and my getting lost. I'll have to remember to go out and learn the geography sometime. That's enough about me though. What have you been doing since we've been gone? How are things going with Jenna? Is Garet still getting into trouble? I really miss all of his silly antics. I hope you aren't too lonely with everyone being gone now, but I'm sure you aren't because you have Jenna. I've retaken my post as the Great Healer here in Imil, but I think in a few months Justin will be ready to handle it on his own. By then he'll be able to start training Megan himself and I'll be free to do as I please for a while. I'm hoping to come back to New Vale for a bit, but who knows what will happen with the landscape changing. Anyways, I should wrap this up before I head to the sanctum; I wouldn't want to postpone this letter getting to you any longer than I should!_

_Keep in touch, I miss you. _

_Love Mia._

It was good to see that she was doing well, and he was happy to hear about the things she was doing. However, he couldn't help feeling as if he had read the last part incorrectly. '_Love_ Mia'?! Isaac blushed profusely when he read this part. He had to admit that, for her, he felt something similar to what he imagined a sibling's love would be, but had never considered her anything more than a very close friend. Still, he felt a warm sensation come over him as his eyes hovered over those words. It felt as if something within his chest was stirring; like butterflies, only it wasn't a nervous feeling. This was something he used to only feel around Jenna, but as of late he found that it was less and less common. He discreetly stored the letter under his mattress, and pulled out a blank piece of parchment. He dipped the feather in the inkwell, but didn't pull it out until he figured out what he wanted to say. He hadn't written many letters in his past, as all his friends and relatives lived in Vale when he was younger. Still, it couldn't be too hard. He decided to start by answering her questions. Tapping the quill on the edge of the inkwell to prevent it from dripping, he slowly but confidently began writing his letter.

_Dear Mia,_

_I've been well, thanks for asking. It's been pretty quiet around here without the five of you to keep us busy. Even with Garet causing trouble (it's hard to believe he's almost twenty) not much else really goes on other than the occasional party at the inn. Truthfully, I haven't been doing much of anything since you guys left. Jenna and I had a…misunderstanding after you left. It's kind of complicated so I might tell you about it when you come visit. Hopefully by then this whole mess will have blown over. It's just been weird not talking to her as much. She seems distant, but maybe I'm just thinking that because the eight of us used to spend all our time together. I can't really remember much about what life was like before, but hopefully this isn't too different. I miss you guys a lot. I should probably come to Imil sometime so that you don't have to trek all the way here again; it wouldn't be fair to make you do all the walking. Besides, I'd like to visit Megan and Justin again and see how the Mercury Lighthouse has changed._

He paused, not knowing what else to say; yet feeling like his letter was unfinished. He hadn't asked her any questions, but she had basically covered everything he might have asked her in her letter to him. Stumped, he sank back in his chair trying to think of something else he could write.

When his mind failed to deliver, he carelessly looked around the room as if there would be something written on the walls or ceiling that he could say to her. Instead, his eye caught something shiny and gold hanging by the hilt of his sword. It was a lucky medal. He'd saved it because he thought that they had already won all the possible prizes at the fountain in Tolbi. He had planned on using it in Lemuria, but Ivan surprisingly pulled out a small fortune's worth that they used to play to their hearts' content. Isaac strolled over to it and removed it from his sword. He examined the Xianese markings on either side: 'Luck' on one side, 'Fortune' on the other. Feeling the ribbon he had fastened on it, he grinned as he remembered the ridicule he had gone through while wearing the oversized medallion around his neck. Garet and Ivan burst out laughing at him, blatantly saying it looked goofy for anyone to wear something that excessive; even Mia had to restrain herself from losing control of her giggles.

Walking back over to his desk with medal in hand, Isaac sat himself back down to finish the letter.

_I'm sending you something along with this letter in hopes that it'll make you laugh or at least bring a smile to your face. You have a pretty smile, Mia, and the people of Imil will appreciate my gift if it allows them to see you smile more often._

_Write to me soon,_

_Your Isaac._

He blushed as he wrote down those last words, but didn't bother scratching them out. It may have been a bit embarrassing, but he meant every word. He put a cork in the inkwell, and laid down his quill; allowing his freshly written letter to dry. Leaning back in his chair, Isaac sighed and rested his hands behind his head. Everything was so peaceful now. Even the weather seemed to agree, he thought, gazing out the window into the sunlit picturesque of the lush green village. Then he saw Jenna walking towards the direction of his house with what appeared to be a basket full of freshly baked muffins. Isaac grinned as he got up from his seat and hastily went down to the door to meet Jenna. _It's probably her way of truly accepting my apology, _he guessed, his mouth watering with the thought of Jenna's famous baked goods. What a way to make up! He opened the door to meet her before she could knock. To his surprise, however, she walked right past his house without even noticing that he had opened the door! Without thinking, he quickly went to catch up with her.

"Hey Jenna!" he called when he was only a few steps behind her. "Whatcha got there?"

She turned her head to look at him, but didn't stop walking. "Hi Isaac. It's just some muffins I baked. I'm taking them to Garet's house."

"Oh," he said, trying to mask his slight disappointment. She hadn't baked him anything in weeks. "Mind if I try one?"

"Erm…I only made enough for each person in his family."

"Oh," he said again. He thought that this had been something that would bring them closer, but instead she seemed to be just as distant as ever. "I guess…my mom could make me some if I asked her to."

"I'm sorry, Isaac," she said, a weak smile forming on her face. "I could make you some another time."

He didn't say anything for a moment. Why did she seem so distant? Lately she hadn't wanted to spend much time with him, and when they had it was because Garet wanted to get together. _Doesn't she still care about me? Want to spend time alone with me? Does…does she still love me?_ These thoughts haunted his mind as they approached Garet's house. It was supposed to be perfect with Felix gone for a little while. He and Jenna would get to spend more time alone without her brother constantly lurking around to make sure Isaac didn't 'try anything funny' as he would say. Instead he had gotten somewhat of the cold shoulder since Felix's departure, and was feeling lonelier than ever.

"Isaac?" said Jenna, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Yes Jenna?"

"I'm…gonna be at Garet's for a while. You know…just talking with his mom and stuff. I think you might get bored if you come in. Maybe I'll see you later?"

"Oh," he repeated for a third time; it was starting to get repetitive. _Why is she pushing me away? I always go over to Garet's just to hang out. I dunno what's going on with her, but it's really starting to bother me. I wish I knew something about it, anything even!_ "Sure, I…uh…I'll go find something else to do for now."

She flashed him another weak little smile. What was it about her expression that seemed so different? Was she sad? She seemed almost guilty. Isaac decided he would ponder these more at his thinking spot. He leaned in to kiss her, but she didn't turn towards him to return it; so he lightly pecked her cheek, hurt by her lack of affection. Not wanting her to see how upset he was, he quickly turned away from Garet's house and walked a few steps before running off towards the pond.

When he reached the bridge, Isaac picked up a few stones and tossed them in, causing the water to ripple more than it already was. Why was she doing this to him? He huffed and leaned on the rail, resting his head against his arms. _Was it something I did? All I want is for things to go back to normal._ He thought back to the day of the knighting ceremony. She had promised him something right there on the bridge. _'Don't ever change, Jenna.' 'For you, Isaac, I won't.'_ The memory replayed itself over and over in his head. He could feel his eyes start to moisten. Trying to get out of his funk, he thought of reasons why she might be avoiding him. _She's probably just been busy lately. I remember her saying something about working down at the bakery. That's got to be it; she wouldn't avoid me for no reason._ He sighed again. It was a pretty weak answer, but what else could he believe? It was times like this when he wished he could speak to Mia in person: ask her what to do, what to say, what Jenna might be thinking, why she was avoiding him, if she even realized she was avoiding him. There were just so many things that he didn't think anyone else could answer for him. He thought back to the knighting ceremony again. _What if she _did_ see us on the bridge..? She didn't seem upset over that, but maybe that was the instigator for what happened when they left._ All these thoughts were hurting his brain. He just wished that she would open up to him. At least she wasn't snappy anymore, but that wasn't the problem. He gazed forlornly as he recalled the day he apologized to her.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"_Jenna, wait up!" She turned to glare at him, but didn't say anything. It had been two months since their friends had left New Vale but Jenna would still not tell Isaac what was wrong._

"_What do _you_ want?"_

"_I just…wanted to talk. You haven't said so much as a few words to me since everyone left, and at first I didn't think too much of it but now it's making me worry!"_

_She continued to stare angrily at him, but rather than responding she turned around and continued to walk away. Isaac was starting to get annoyed, but kept pushing to see if he could get an answer from her._

"_Jenna, stop! You always walk away from me when I tell you that you're worrying me! Did you at least talk to Garet? I figured that I should find out what was wrong from you, but if you're gonna persist in not letting me in then I'll just have to ask him instead!" He hadn't meant to raise his voice, but he was truly getting fed up with her attitude._

_To his surprise, she stopped and turned towards him. With her arms flexed straight down at her sides, she stomped over to him. She looked like she was about to slap him, so he braced himself for the impact; however, it never came. Instead, a powerful, jabbing finger poked him hard in the chest._

"_You can't talk to me that way! You're so insensitive, Isaac! Sometimes I wish I could clobber you over the head, but that would make me just as insensitive as you!"_

_Those words stung at his heart. She thought he was insensitive? He could feel his chest drop as he processed the words in his head._

_He didn't want her to turn away from him again, so out of impulse he pulled her into a tight hug, making sure she couldn't get out of his arms._

"_Mmf! Let go of me you jerk! You insensitive prick! You're an ass, Isaac! I hate you!" She continued screaming similar things, punching his sides and his back with her half-trapped arms._

"_I'm so sorry, Jenna. If I hadn't gotten so emotional over that parting with Mia, none of this would have happened. You're my everything. Mia means little to me when I think about you." He received no response for a minute until she suddenly stopped hitting him, and he realized she was shaking slightly. He looked down to see tears pouring from her eyes like little waterfalls._

"_If you knew th-that was why I was upset, why d-didn't you apologize earlier?! I-I-I hated resenting you, Isaac. But I couldn't face you if you d-didn't know why I was upset!" It was difficult to understand her as she choked between her sobs. He suddenly felt very guilty. He should've approached her the moment Garet had told him what he thought the reason was._

"_Shh," he whispered into her ear."This is my fault, and I'm stupid for not realizing it before. I shouldn't have asked Garet to talk to you for me."_

_She sobbed again; her breath was choppy and stuttering. "I didn't w-want Garet to c-console me. I j-just wanted t-t-to know that you were still here f-for me."_

_Her nose started to run, and Isaac was unsure of what to say next. He felt extremely bad for letting her deal with this herself and couldn't express his apology enough in words. "I'm so sorry, Jenna. Please stop crying. I hate seeing you so upset like this. Let's get you home and we can talk about it there, alright?"_

_She nodded shakily and they walked slowly back to Jenna's house. At least he had gotten through to her._

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

It was a rather unpleasant memory, but it made him feel better to think that he had gotten through to her. Unfortunately, he didn't think that she would continue to stay away from him after they'd finally made up. She'd seemed so relieved when she finished crying; it just didn't make any sense to him. Isaac prayed that she didn't realize what she was doing to him, but how could she not? He recalled the look in her eyes when she told him not to go inside Garet's house. That look of sadness with a hint of guilt, and that weak little smile. He hated seeing that smile more than seeing her cry. It made him feel weak because she was essentially preventing him from questioning her further.

He decided to take a walk away from the bridge. Perhaps the spot was bringing up too many memories. Slowly walking away from the pond, Isaac started in the direction of Kraden's house; not that he was looking to speak with Kraden or anything, but he thought that perhaps the old scholar would be up to something that would help him take his mind away from his sad memories. Isaac looked in the window as he came closer to the cottage. Sighing, he passed it by after noticing that Kraden had company. It seemed to him that everyone was with someone except for him. Seeing nothing of interest as he continued walking, Isaac eventually made his way to the front gate. Glancing back, he shuffled under the archway, and followed the path out of New Vale.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Vault was just the same as he'd remembered it: a relatively small village with lots of friendly people. He smiled, thinking back to when he and Garet had first met Ivan here. It seemed like such a long time ago. But he was glad to know that the town hadn't changed much in nearly three years. He aimlessly wandered the streets until coming to a bell tower. Shrugging to himself, as he had nothing better to do, he began climbing it.

It was quite the view. He sat himself on the edge, allowing his legs to dangle in front of him. It had taken about half the day to reach Vault, but it wasn't like he had anything else to do. Besides, he could easily make it back before sunset if he ran. Looking up at the clouds, his face contorted a bit. He used to stare at clouds with Jenna. Thinking of it now only made his heart ache. Why did everything remind him of her? Had they really spent so much time together that he couldn't think of anything without the pretty brunette popping up in his mind? He shook his head and looked out to the plains leading to Kalay. An odd sight met his gaze.

"Was that…Cybele?" he muttered to himself. Surely he had imagined it, but a sudden growth of oversized vines convinced him otherwise. Quickly descending the ladders, Isaac sprinted towards the outskirts of the village, wondering why the goddess would appear here of all places. As he neared the scene, it became apparent that Cybele had not shown up without reason.

"Felix!" cried Isaac, running towards the brown-haired boy. It seemed reasonable to assume Felix was in trouble. He visibly looked like he was in pain, and the strange monster in front of him seemed unfazed by the goddess of nature's attack.

"I-Isaac?" he stammered, spitting blood to the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll tell you later, but it looks like you could use some help right now!" Isaac didn't have his sword with him, so he had to rely on his psynergy. Standing closely to Felix, he focused his mind on the healing energies of Venus. "Potent cure!" he shouted, a golden light glowing from his hands. Felix's wounds glowed the same colour; slowly stitching themselves back together.

"Thanks, but this monster may be too much to handle," said Felix, quickly dodging a swipe from the monster's claw.

"What on Weyard is this thing, Felix?!"

"I have no idea! I didn't even see it coming towards me out here! I'm completely tapped for psynergy, too!"

The strange creature roared, swiping its claws at Felix. He barely dodged the monster's attacks; his body lagging from the constant ravaging of its earlier onslaught. Isaac had never seen anything like it before. It looked kind of like a mauler crossed with a cave troll and a ghoul. It had large ears and oversized hands and feet like a troll, but its hide was a ghoulish green. Everywhere except its face, hands, feet, and chest was covered with a thick fur like that of a mauler and it clearly had rows and rows of dagger-sized teeth.

Concentrating his mind again, Isaac raised his arms above his head. "Ragnarok!" he screamed. It was a good thing he didn't actually need a sword to cast his signature spell. The gigantic sword flew down from the sky, stabbing the creature through its back and out its abdomen. It howled in agony as the blade exploded and disappeared. Isaac grinned, but his confidence didn't last long. The hole going through the creature suddenly healed itself, and it angrily turned to face its new attacker. With surprising speed, it charged towards Isaac, smashing him to the ground and crushing his leg. Snarling in his face, it prepared to snap its jaws around Isaac's head. _This is it,_ he thought, _I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't want it to end this way._ He closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Die you filthy beast!" shouted Felix, suddenly leaping onto the monster's back. Isaac opened his eyes to see the tip of Felix's blade protruding from the monster's mouth, barely missing his nose. He pushed the creature off of him and watched as it quickly disintegrated into thin air. Felix reached his hand out to help him up. Taking it, he stood and brushed himself off.

"You alright there, Isaac?"

"Yeah, sorry. I guess I was just more of a distraction in that battle," he answered.

"Don't worry about it. I was more concerned about how you were fighting actually. You seemed slower and a bit distracted. I'm surprised you managed to keep your mind off of that _thing_."

"Well, I've got a lot on my mind. Sorry if it hindered you at all."

Felix looked at him, a slight look of worry coming over his stern expression. It wasn't like Isaac to get distracted during a battle. "Let's head to Vault. You can tell me about it when we get there. We're in no shape to head home right now, so you'll have plenty of time to let me know. Besides, I want to know what you were doing so far from New Vale anyways."

"Alright," Isaac answered solemnly. It may be awkward talking to Felix about his sister, but at least he was someone Isaac could talk to right now. Slowly limping back to Vault, the two Venus adepts supported each other as they left the site of their recent battle.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"I see…" said Felix, dabbing at his bloody hand with a wet cloth. "I had no idea you two were having issues."

After checking into the inn at Vault, Isaac had spent the past hour explaining his problems with Jenna to Felix. The sun was going down, and he was afraid of how worried his parents might be, but knew that he couldn't trek back home; especially if there were more of those monsters out there.

"When did this all start again?"

"The day you all left New Vale. I figured out what was wrong before, but now I can't understand why she's still avoiding me."

"Hmm... It seems to me, Isaac, that she may still think that you and Mia have…something. Have you heard from Mia lately?"

"Yes, but Jenna couldn't have known about it. I only just received the letter today, and she went over to Garet's this morning."

"I'm…not exactly sure what to tell you then. It seems that all you can do is wait until she decides to tell you what's going on."

Isaac sighed, falling backwards onto his bed. He had already come to that conclusion a while ago, but hoped that Felix would be able to give him some more sound advice. "Let's change the topic. This is making me depressed."

"…Alright, what do you want to talk about?"

Isaac pondered for a moment before realizing something. "Why were you gone for so long? With all the trade routes opened, I thought you'd have been back sooner."

Felix gave him an odd glance. Was he blushing? That was something Isaac had never seen before, but he ignored it nonetheless, waiting for Felix to answer. "I…I spent a little longer in Lalivero than I'd expected to."

"What does that even mean, Felix?"

Felix continued to blush, an awkward smile coming over his face as if recalling some strange memory. It was possibly the most ridiculous expression Isaac had ever seen on someone's face. "Well, Faran was surprisingly forgiving, considering I'd brought Sheba back home safely. In fact he allowed me to stay with them for a while. Sheba and I got to see each other a lot more, and one thing led to another…" He trailed off mid-sentence. Was that intentional?

"_And?_"

"…and I'm moving to Lalivero to be with her…"

Isaac was ready for him to say something out of the ordinary, but it still shocked him to hear those words coming from Felix. "Wow…I didn't realize you guys were so close."

"Yeah…I hope Jenna won't be too upset. I only came back to get my things. I left a message with Ivan to come pick me up by caravan in a few days. I was only going to say goodbye to my family before heading off."

Isaac looked over to him. It was odd seeing this side of Felix. He didn't even know there was a softer side to him. "I'm happy for you. I'm sure that you'll be happy with her. I'd be thrilled to live with someone who really cares about me…"

"You mean like Mia?"

"Yeah…whoa, wait, what?! No! I meant someone like, uh, Jenna! That's just who I assumed you were going to say!"

Felix chuckled lightly. "Relax, Isaac, I was just teasing you. Actually that reminds me. You should warn Mia about the monsters that have been running around lately. Believe it or not, I ran into more than one of those things on my way back. Everything seems to have gotten stronger since the Golden Sun incident. I think that thing may have been a few monsters morphed together by the power of Alchemy!"

It was surprising to hear that Felix had run into more than one of those things on his way back. He had narrowly defeated that last one, but perhaps that was because he was exhausted from slaying the other ones. "I didn't realize we'd caused so much trouble."

"You're hopeless, you know that? Everything we start talking about seems to depress you more and more. I don't know how you're planning on facing Jenna if she decides to open up to you anytime soon."

"Sorry…it's just been a long day. Could you…could you maybe ask her to talk to me? You are her brother after all. Maybe she'll listen to you."

"I suppose I could let her know what she's been doing to you. I still think that you should wait it out or ask her yourself."

"I have; I just can't get a straight answer from her, though. She seems to brush it off like it's nothing."

Felix paused for a moment, looking at his companion's sad expression. "I've had enough of your whining for one day. Let's just rest up for the night and we'll head out early tomorrow morning."

"Yeah…wake me if you're up first."

"Good night, Isaac."

Isaac heard Felix slip into his own bed. He must have been worn out from his journey and all the monsters he'd faced. Quietly slipping under his covers, Isaac lay on his side. Truthfully, he was quite fatigued as well, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep. It seemed like hours before his thoughts clouded with times when he and Jenna were happy. Finally, he drifted into a sleep filled with sorrowful dreams.

* * *

Ugh, long chapter is looooong. I'm not sure if I like exactly how this chapter went… I don't think there's anything wrong with it, but it just seemed like it was a slow progression for the story. Maybe it's because Isaac didn't have a whole lot of interaction with other people, but I would've liked to have written something a bit more…romantically appealing. I guess it makes sense that I show how depressed he is, though. Even though it's slow progression, it is a necessary component to the story.

If you actually liked this chapter, though, let me know in your reviews, or let me know how I could've made it better. I can't improve if I don't know what's wrong :P

_-GengaJupite_


	5. Despair

Hey everybody! It took me a while to get around to actually writing this chapter, but I finally managed to do it :P. Despite having the basic plotline written out in front of me, I didn't exactly know how to continue off of the last chapter. It took me a while, but I managed to come up with this (All in between breaks from studying, no less).

And I got more than 2 reviews this time! :D Thanks to **Mr0cheese, AnriMia24, anon** (dunno if that means you didn't put in a name or if you actually wrote in 'anon', but whatever :P), and **Holly3500** for your kind words. As it's been pointed out, and I fully agree, I'm not the best writer when it comes to grammar, mainly because of commas… My lack of attention during and following English 10 is coming back to bite me now, but I will do what I can to work on it…but not on this chapter…because it's already been written and, being the lazy bum that I am, I don't feel like going through all of it to find grammar mistakes. I will try to be more wary of them in future chapters.

Also, I've recently found one of my callings in life that I'd like to pursue. Not that it's at all related to you guys, but I've decided that I want to compose music for media in the forms of movies, tv shows, and video games (preferably concentrating mostly on the latter). Anyways, I would be eternally grateful if you would check out my soundcloud page and share some of my songs on facebook or twitter or whatever other things you might be using. Here's a link to the first song I've made since graduating high school. Since I have no premise to work with, I kind of make up my own movie/tv/video game situations for which to base my songs on. So if you guys could help me get my name out there, that would be spectacular!

snd*sc/QELXyG (I can't actually post a link so the * should be a dot)

On with the story!

Disclaimer: Camelot owns Golden Sun, I don't!

* * *

"_Awesome!" shouted Tyrell, punching the air with his free hand. "You and Uncle Felix smashed that monster like 'Pow! Smash! Bang!' and he went all 'Bleargh! Roar! Ugh!' and died!"_

_Garet looked down at his son and grinned; watching him imitate the sounds of Isaac's described battle with the troll-ghoul-mauler monster. He was glad to see Tyrell actually starting to enjoy the story, as he was clearly showing signs of boredom from the descriptions of heartbreak and love._

"_Tyrell, you're so weird!" said Karis, elbowing him in the side; however, she did not let go of his hand. "This isn't a fighting story, it's a _love_ story!"_

"_Yeah, but it sounded so cool! I wanna fight monsters!"_

"_No! Good boys don't go fighting monsters! They stay with their girlfriends and love them!"_

"_Yuck! I never want a girlfriend if it means I can't fight big strong monsters!"_

_Karis smacked him on the arm. "You dumb head! _I'm_ your girlfriend!"_

_Upon hearing those words, Tyrell struggled to get away from her, but Karis had him in a surprising vice-like grip while she glared at him. Garet couldn't resist bursting out laughing, and even Matthew and Isaac snickered a bit at the humourous scene._

"_Let go of me, Karis! I'm not your boyfriend! Matthew can be your boyfriend!"_

"_Tyrell! I'm a girl, not a toy! You can't just give me away! You better hope I forgive you for this when we're married!"_

"_NOOOOOOO!"_

_By this point, Garet and Matthew were practically rolling on the floor in tears. Isaac smirked at them, as he was reminded of similar situations from his own past. He could see how his son's life might play out much like his own had: he being the bystander while Jenna and Garet constantly bickered about everything. However, he decided that those moments would come up later in the story anyways, so he kept them to himself._

"_Alright, you two, that's enough," said Garet, finally regaining his composure. He managed to stop Karis from hitting Tyrell, but couldn't stifle his laughter when he realized she had not let go of his hand._

_Isaac gently lifted his laughing son back onto the sofa, and sat back down in his chair. Trying to remember where he was in the story, Isaac scratched at his sideburns._

"…_Where did I leave off again?" he asked them._

_Garet shrugged, still shaking a bit from his uncontrolled giggle fit. "I think you and Felix were at the inn?"_

"_Oh, that's right. So I woke up the next day…"_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Isaac, wake up," came a quiet voice from beside him. Isaac could feel a hand shaking him sternly from his sleep. "We should get going now."

Isaac groaned. He had slept terribly and felt as though Felix was waking him up too early. Rubbing his eyes, he asked groggily, "What time is it? It still looks dark out."

"It's not quite dawn. We should get a move on, though. I'd like to see my family as soon as possible, and I'm sure everyone is worried about where you went off to."

Yawning, Isaac nodded to show he understood. Slowly getting up, he reached for his scarf, only to find something else in his hands. _Huh? What is this?_ he thought. It was too dark to see properly, but he could feel that it was a different material than his usual yellow scarf. However, he soon remembered that he had been wearing the red neckerchief that Jenna gave him. His head flooded with memories of the day she had given it to him again; a bad start to a new day.

"You ready to go, Isaac?" Felix had gotten all his things ready so quickly, Isaac was surprised he hadn't been packing all night long.

"Yeah, it's not like I had anything with me."

"Then let's check out."

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Their journey back to New Vale was rather uneventful, to say the least. Felix, who was anxious to see his family and friends, kept a swift pace, forcing Isaac to speed-walk the entire way. The sun was already over the horizon when they arrived at the entry gate to New Vale. The two Venus adepts made their way up towards Felix's house. When the front door came into view, they saw it open to let out a somewhat tired-looking Jenna. Quickly exchanging a glance with each other, the two young men walked up to meet the girl they had both been hoping to see.

She looked up to see the two of them approaching; a mixture of sadness, happiness, and relief coming over her face. She ran towards them and held them in a tight embrace.

"Felix! Is it really you? I can't believe you're back! It feels so surreal!"

"I know, Jenna. It's hard to believe I'm here as well. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble with my absence."

She looked at him, eyes glistening, but tearlessly smiled for the brother she had longed to see. Turning her head towards Isaac, she spoke to him also, "And you! Where did you go off to yesterday? We were supposed to meet up after I was finished at Garet's, but your mother said she hadn't seen you all day."

Isaac blushed a little, feeling guilty that he hadn't realized that she actually meant when she said she would see him later. "S-sorry, Jenna. I had…something to deal with."

She tilted her head slightly, a bit confused by his explanation, but put it behind her. "Oh," she said, "well at least you're both safe, and that's what matters. I still can't believe it's you, Felix! I'll go get Mom and Dad! Isaac, you should probably go let your mom know that you're okay."

Nodding in agreement, Isaac released his grip from Jenna, and watched the siblings go back into their house. His sad thoughts of Jenna were gone now that he realized she had been worried about him and seemed happy to see that he had come back with Felix. He took off towards his house to make sure his parents didn't have to worry about him anymore

When he reached his house, Isaac quietly pushed open the door, hoping that his parents would still be asleep. However, he was greeted by a rather angry-looking Dora.

"Just _where_ have you been, young man?! Your father and I were worried sick when you didn't come home last night! I thought perhaps you were out with Jenna, but when she came by to see you I began to fear the worst, especially since your bed was still empty this morning! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Isaac was dreading this talk with his mother. He was hoping that he would have been able to sneak into his bed while they were still asleep so that they would think he had come home after they went to bed. "Sorry, Mom. I had to…go to Vault…to meet Felix there. We got caught up in a scrape and we stayed the night to rest up." While it wasn't an entirely true story, the basic premise was more or less correct. Feeling satisfied with that story, he waited for his mother's response.

However, Dora simply kept glaring at him. Kyle, who had been sitting over at the kitchen table, decided to say something before she exploded again. "That was irresponsible of you, son. You should have at least left a note or something so that we'd know where you went off to. It's worrisome when nobody has any idea where you've gone."

"Sorry, Dad. I wasn't really thinking when I took off yesterday."

"Yes, well you'll have plenty of time to think about it while you're re-thatching our roof!" answered Dora. "We need to add more layers to it for the upcoming winter months, and I think this will be the perfect punishment for you." She stomped over to the table before adding, "No psynergy. I don't want this job to be a quick and easy task for you."

Sighing, Isaac slumped upstairs to change his clothes; the ones he was wearing were still covered in dried blood and dirt from his battle the other day. When he neared the dresser, he realized that he hadn't mailed his letter to Mia yet. He thoughtlessly changed his clothes and scanned over the letter before snatching it and the lucky medal off his desk. He flew down the stairs and yelled to his parents that he was going to the post office before disappearing out the door.

When he reached the building, Isaac casually walked in with his letter. Paying a single gold coin for the envelope and mailing fee, he wrote 'Mia, Imil' on the front of it. He scrunched his face, realizing that she had much better curvature than him, but decided that it wasn't worth paying for another one to try again. Tucking his letter and the lucky medal inside, he handed it to the clerk at the counter, who stuck it in a bin labeled 'Northern Angara'. Quickly as he came, Isaac left the post office, picking up some hay on the way back so he could begin working on the roof as soon as possible.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The winter season came about two months later, much to everyone's surprise. Isaac was glad that his parents had the foresight to have him thatch the roof so soon. Trudging through the medium layer of snow outside his house, Isaac started heading up to Garet's. It was chilly times like these that he was glad to sport his yellow scarf.

When he reached Garet's house, he was almost knocked over by Aaron who was running out to play in the snow with the other children. Kay smiled and welcomed him in.

"Hello Isaac," she greeted, "I think Garet is just getting ready. The lazy bum should be down in a few minutes. You can sit by the fire with Jenna."

"Thanks Kay," he said, glad to be out of the cold. He hadn't even noticed Jenna at first, but smiled at her when she looked his way. She returned his smile, turning back to face the hearth she was seated by. Tapping the snow off his boots, Isaac strolled over to Jenna and sat beside her, putting his arm over her shoulder. He wasn't exactly sure why, but ever since Felix had left for good, Jenna had become close with him again; not that he was complaining.

She smiled and squeezed his other hand in hers. "You cold?" she asked him.

"Not too much. Unlike you and Garet, I can actually handle cool temperatures."

She glanced at him, a smirk coming to her lips, "Oh, really? Because I remember saving your butt when we were at Jupiter Lighthouse. Seemed like those brisk winds were really getting to you."

He chuckled lightly, "Yeah, but that was because of Karst, Agatio, and the lighthouse, not the wind. Garet was just as bad at Mercury Lighthouse, and neither of you were enjoying Mars until we melted all the ice."

She giggled a little bit and they sat there silently for a moment. Changing the subject, Jenna inquired Isaac, "So have you heard from anyone lately?"

As of late, Isaac had become somewhat of the messenger between their friends. Jenna and Garet liked to oversee the letters he was writing, and often signed their names at the bottom as well. The only letters that Isaac kept private were the ones from Mia. He had a difficult time explaining to Jenna why he was doing so, but she seemed to understand when he said he didn't want to risk her feeling jealous again.

"Oh you know; Mia, Piers, Ivan since he's visiting Hama in Contigo. The usual."

"That's nice that they're all doing well. I haven't heard from Sheba and Felix in a little while."

"Don't worry Jenna. I'm sure they're just busy with settling in and everything. By the way, Piers said he was going to send everyone a carrier pigeon. Says it'll make sending and receiving letters way faster, especially since he's always on the move."

"He's so thoughtful! I wish they could all be here during this time of year. It's the best time to get together with friends and family by the fireplace."

"Well actually," started Isaac, "I got a letter from Mia a week ago saying that she would be leaving Imil to come visit us. Since it takes her letters about a month to get to us, she should be here in a few weeks!"

"Oh, how nice of her to come visit," Jenna said mindlessly. Although she had told him time and again that she wasn't jealous of Mia anymore, Isaac could still see remnants of her past feelings towards the Mercury adept. He told her she had nothing to be jealous of and that she was just as attractive and friendly as Mia.

"Yo, guys!" boomed Garet's voice from the stairs, "You ready to head out?"

"Head out? Garet, I just got here five minutes ago!" said Isaac, wondering where his friend wanted to go.

"Yeah, Garet! We were just warming up by the fire. Where do you want to go anyways?" added Jenna.

"The inn's having its winter celebration! There's gonna be lots of food and free cookies from the bakery! Plus there's a dance later. It's like a whole season of partying!"

Isaac had forgotten about the yearly winter celebrations at the inn. He thought back to the last one he went to three years ago and how much fun it had been. "Are they still doing it all winter?"

"Yeah, man! They always do it all winter! It's not like there's a whole lot of other stuff we can do, so I say we go there, eat some food, maybe get tipsy, who knows what'll happen?!"

"Haha, Garet you're such a dork!" said Jenna, laughing at the overenthusiastic Mars adept. "But it does sound like fun. I should probably go home and change then. I don't wanna show up in my puffy winter clothes!" She quickly got up and ran to the door, eager to get ready for the celebrations. "Meet me at my house when you guys are ready!" she called before heading out the door.

"I guess I should probably go change too," said Isaac, slowly getting up from the couch and walking towards the door.

"Wait Isaac," said Garet, stepping towards him. "I heard you saying something about Mia coming back. We should bring her with us once she's here. Maybe we can get her drunk," he said with a devilish grin.

Isaac laughed and lightly punched his friend's shoulder, "You dumbass, healers don't drink! I'm sure she'll be happy to come celebrate with us, but she's gonna be sober."

"You never know Isaac, we're only twenty! 'Why waste your youth?' is what I always say."

"Yeah and how many times have you gotten in trouble over that same motto?"

"Shut up!" Garet laughed, shoving Isaac towards the door, "Besides, you might get lucky with her," he winked.

"…Garet I'm dating Jenna…man, you must be drunk already."

"I'm not gonna say I'm drunk, but I may or may not have found my old man's brew stash. I figured I'd be a good son and make sure that he's drinking quality ale. After careful analysis I can confirm that he is."

Isaac laughed and shoved his buzzed friend, watching him stagger over a stool. "I'll see you in a bit Garet. You gonna need help walking to Jenna's?"

"You talk too much! I'll be fine. Just don't take too long."

Isaac smiled and shook his head as he left his oldest friend's house. Leave it to Garet to start drinking before the party. Then again, it wasn't the first time he'd done something like that before.

Isaac quickly got changed into something more suitable for a party. He was about to leave his house when he heard tapping at his window. He opened it to find two pigeons pecking at it, letters attached to their legs. He quickly unfastened the letters and gave each of them a few seeds before putting them in a bird cage he'd bought. Unraveling the smaller letter, he scanned over the formal writing of Piers.

_Isaac,_

_I hope you are doing well. This is your carrier pigeon. I'm sure you are smart enough to figure it out, but you may have to remind Garet that he has to feed his before he sends it off and also when one arrives to him. I expect that this will allow us to send letters much more quickly._

_Your friend,_

_Captain Piers_

Isaac noted that it only said the one with this letter attached was his pigeon. Had someone else already received theirs and sent him a letter? That sure was quick. He was glad that he would be able to send and receive letters so quickly now that he had a speedy way of doing so. Taking the second one, he instantly recognized it to be from Mia. He felt his chest stir as it always did when he received one from Mia. He carefully read each word of the letter he was not expecting to receive so soon.

_Dear Isaac,_

_I'm sorry to say this, but I may be a bit longer than I was expecting. As I was passing through Bilibin (which is much larger by the way) it seemed that there was a bit of an epidemic. There was quite a bad case of the flu going around, and I couldn't stand by as a healer without doing something. I'm sure it will only be a few extra days for me to arrive; one week tops. You can survive without me until then, right? Anyways, I understand what you were saying about the monsters before. Luckily I only had encounters with small ones, but they were still surprisingly strong. I'm glad I brought a mace along as well. I doubt my staff would hold out if I were to face off against a large monster. Anyways, don't worry about me; I'll be fine on my own._

_Looking forward to seeing you,_

_Love Mia_

Despite the fact that she always signed her letters saying 'Love Mia', Isaac still couldn't get used to it. He felt his face get hot every time he read those two little words, regardless of how many times he'd seen them. He was just glad that Jenna didn't request to see the letters because she would most definitely be upset if she saw that at the bottom.

Realizing he didn't have much time, Isaac stashed the letter under his mattress, with the rest from Mia, and quickly left his house; figuring he could write a response to her when he got back.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The party was absolutely incredible. The decorations hanging from the walls and ceiling were well made, and the band had played great music all day and night. Everyone who had shown up was in good spirits. Taking a break from dancing, Isaac, Garet, and Jenna found a table where they could rest to stop their legs from falling off.

"You know *urp* Isaac…I've had my share of…uh…crap I forgot, but *hic* it was important so remind me later of…yeah," said a very intoxicated Garet. In between songs, Garet made sure to drink at least three glasses of ale, and considering they had been there all day it was a miracle he hadn't passed out on the floor yet.

Isaac laughed, being a bit drunk himself, "Don'tchu worry 'bout it, man! I'm sure it was important!"

Jenna was in hysterics over the two of them. She, being much smaller than her two companions, needed much less alcohol to get drunk. "You guys aren't making sense!" she giggled.

"Hey! More sense *urp* than a…than a…uh…*hic* Punch ant with…" Garet trailed off his sentence, finally passing out on the table.

Isaac tried to take another gulp of ale, but spat it back in his mug, laughing over nothing in particular.

"Isaac, we should stop! We don't *hic* wanna be like Garet!" Jenna called to him over the music.

"Hehe you're right. *Urp* let's just finish our glasses and that'll be it!"

"Heehee, okay and then we can dance again!"

The two drunken friends downed their glasses and got up to rejoin the crowd of people dancing, leaving Garet to sleep on the table.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

After the party ended, Isaac and Jenna were sober enough to walk Garet home. Of course, Garet was still passed out, so it fell to them to somehow lug him there. Luckily, Isaac had the carry stone with him, and was easily able to float him home beside them. Luna knows how they would have carried both him and themselves up to his house at the top of the village without it. When they reached his house, a very unimpressed Kay answered the door for them.

"Ugh, some mayor he'll make. I think we should wait until Aaron can take over."

"Where can we lay him down Kay?" asked Jenna.

"Just leave him on the couch. I'll leave a pail by his head so the big lummox doesn't puke on the floor."

Isaac floated him over to the couch and softly laid him down. Grinning as he left, Isaac took Jenna by the hand and started walking her home.

"Isaac?" she said as they started heading down the hill.

"Yeah Jenna?"

"Can we…talk somewhere…before you take me home?"

"Uh, sure, but wouldn't you rather wait until another day when we're completely sober?"

"No, I…I think now would be the best time to talk."

"Okay, we can go to my thinking spot."

He turned them around and began walking up the hill. Thankfully, Garet's house wasn't far from the sanctum, so it would be pretty easy for them to get to the bridge. Wondering what it was that Jenna needed to speak to him about, he walked a bit slower to ponder it. When they reached the pond, he still hadn't come up with anything.

The moon shone down brightly, reflecting beautifully off the snowy landscape and frozen pond. The miniature waterfall still flowed, but ice surrounded the area where the water was splashing. It was a truly magnificent view.

"Luna's awfully pretty tonight," said Jenna, taking in her surroundings.

"Yeah," said Isaac, wondering if she was just in a romantic mood.

"I…I guess you're wondering what I wanted to talk to you about."

"A little bit. I'm more curious about why it couldn't wait."

"I'm sorry, I was just afraid that if I put it off any longer you might end up hurting more."

Isaac felt his chest tighten up and he froze on the spot. He mentally prayed that his immediate thoughts were wrong. "J-Jenna? Is…is everything alright?"

She looked up at him, and that was when his heart stopped. She was visibly crying, but her voice was unwavering. He knew that meant she was serious with what she was about to tell him and he couldn't help but let a tear escape his eye.

"I'm so sorry, Isaac. I just think… I need to figure out me for a while. With the whole Mia thing I just couldn't stop being upset over it. Then when you came back with Felix I thought maybe we could work out again, but after he left for the second time something was different. I tried so hard to make myself want you, but I just couldn't feel the same way anymore."

"J-Jenna…please…d-don't do this. I-I can make it work, I promise!"

"You're so thoughtful, Isaac, and I'll always love you for that, but…I just don't love you in the same way anymore. I'll always think fondly of you. You were my first kiss. Just…please don't blame yourself. It's not at all your fault. I-"

"How is this not my fault?! I screwed up! I should've never gotten close with Mia!" Isaac was in complete hysterics now. He couldn't help the tears falling from his eyes. He loved her, and he always thought that she loved him just as much.

"Isaac, please," she said just above a whisper. Little streams still fell down her face, but her voice still remained strong, "Mia's a wonderful girl. You should be glad you became friends with her."

"But now I'm losing you because of her! Dammit! I really thought we were getting back to normal! I'm such an idiot!"

"Isaac, it's not your fault… I just don't…feel the same about us anymore."

"Why, Jenna?! If it isn't because of Mia then what is it?! You don't just _stop_ loving someone! There's always a reason behind it, but I haven't heard you give me one yet!"

"Isaac, please stop shouting. You're causing a scene."

"No! I'll yell as much as I want! All I want to know is what went wrong between us! Why can't we be together?! I love you, Jenna! There's nothing I want more than to be with you! Why can't you see that and love me back just the same?!"

"Because there's someone else, okay?!"

Isaac, who had basically gone on a rampage, stopped suddenly. He wasn't prepared for her to scream at him, and he most definitely didn't expect to hear her say that. He was at a loss for words. How could he respond to that? Someone else? Who could it be? Who could have stolen the love of his life away from him?

Jenna was now crying into her hands, loud gasps and sobs muffled by them. Isaac didn't care, though. He had to know something. He was no longer in hysterics; rather, he had taken on the role that Jenna had had just moments ago: tearful but unwavering.

"Who?" he asked sternly, angrily.

"I-Isaac, don't. I c-can't say. Otherwise you-"

"Who is it?!" he commanded, louder and angrier.

"I-I can't. You'll hurt him."

"**TELL ME WHO THE HELL YOU LEFT ME FOR!"**

"I _can't_!" and with that she took off for her house sobbing. She melted the snow before her feet to prevent herself from slipping. He could see that she was doing what she could to stop him from catching her.

But he wasn't giving chase. He just stood there staring after her, tears streaming from his eyes. He quickly ran the other way, towards his house, afraid that the Great Healer may come out from the sanctum to see what all the ruckus was about.

Isaac quickly bolted up the stairs and locked the door to his room behind him. He was shaking all over: not from the cold, though. Punching at his mattress, he eventually fell down onto it, sobbing.

"Jenna," he whispered to himself, "I'm so sorry, this is entirely my fault. How could I have been so stupid? So naïve? I can't believe this is happening. I shouldn't have yelled at you either. Now there's no chance of us getting back together."

Not completely sure why, he pulled out the letters from Mia. He thought that they might bring him comfort, as they had before, but instead they only brought him more pain. He was about to tear them, thinking they were why his relationship was ruined, but decided against it. Carefully, he opened his desk drawer and placed them in. There was no reason to hide them anymore; it wasn't like Jenna would care if she saw them now. He flopped onto his bed and lay there on his tear-drenched pillow for what felt like an eternity. Isaac knew it couldn't be a nightmare because he didn't sleep a wink that night.

* * *

Valeshippers, please don't kill me! :) Mudshippers, rejoice! (Not over the fact that he's depressed, but it finally got to the first point you were waiting for). Neutral people…carry on :P

I tried to make it seem as genuine as a breakup can be. From my own experience recently :(, I found that when it's a breakup like this, the one breaking up with the other will try to make sure that their partner isn't going to hurt anyone or themselves. Honestly, like Isaac, I was in a flurry of emotions. I hated myself, my girlfriend (while somehow still loving her), anyone else that may have caused it, pretty much everyone; but mostly myself. Now I'm going for as much realism as I can here, so unfortunately (especially for all you hopeful mudshippers) he's not going to instantly go to Mia and fall in love with her like some fairytale. Life doesn't play out like that, and if you read the description for this story or even go reread the first chapter, you'll understand that these things don't always turn out the way they're planned.

Hopefully that doesn't give away any spoilers. I was going more for what _won't_ be happening. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope there wasn't too much going on in it, but you'll have to let me know.

Please R&R because I was really happy to get four (five if you count both of Mr0cheese's) reviews instead of the typical two! Also, check out my soundcloud :) (Link at the top and on my profile)

Until next time,

_-GengaJupite_


	6. Escape

Aaaaaand we're back! After a disgusting couple weeks of studying and writing my finals, I'm happy to announce that there shouldn't be any major delays on this story until spring term starts up! I also decided to give my chapters names (not that it really matters, but some people like chapters with names). :)

Now that I have this time off, it feels good to kick back, play some games (currently playing The Last Story, FFVII, and Kingdom Hearts 3D), compose (new song btw, link on my profile), and continue this story!

Thanks for reviewing!  
**Mr0cheese: **Technically they were sobering up, but if it adds to the story to imagine them still being drunk then by all means think what you will :P. Also, Jenna may be out of her relationship with Isaac, but that doesn't mean she's out of the picture entirely…that's all I'll say about that. And as for your question, well you'll just have to wait to find out ;).  
**AnriMia24: **Well, gosh, I humbly accept your cookies. I'm glad you understand the logic behind Isaac not going straight for Mia :). It warms my heart to know that people think I make sense :P. Matthew being the son of Isaac and Jenna will be explained in due time but it won't be for a while, so you can look forward to the mudshipping mush that will be coming much sooner than that ;).  
**Proxian: **My intention was that they would either not understand entirely because they're too young or they would forget about it later because toddlers have other things to worry about anyways :P.

There isn't much else I can think of saying for now, so I'll just get to the story!

Disclaimer: Golden Sun is owned by Camelot and Nintendo

* * *

"Isaac? Are you alright, dear?"

"…I'm fine, Mom…"

It was already far past noon, and Isaac had yet to leave his bed that day. He was completely devastated and felt no motivation to leave his room for any reason. Dora was standing outside his door, but could not get in because he had yet to unlock it.

"You should come have something to eat or get some fresh air. You haven't left your room all day!"

"I'm not hungry," he grumbled, barely audible enough for his mother to hear.

"Are you sick? You were out awfully late last night and it's been chilly."

"Mom! I'm fine, just go away!"

He waited for a response, but didn't receive one. After a moment, Isaac heard his mother's footsteps slowly descend the stairs into the kitchen. He cursed himself mentally for yelling at her. It wasn't like him to be so emotionally strung out, but he wasn't exactly in control of his feelings. After last night, everything seemed to affect him more than it should.

"Jenna…" he whispered, stroking the neckerchief hanging from his bedpost. A teardrop began forming in his eye, and he allowed it to fall to his pillow. He had long since given up on trying to catch the seemingly endless supply of tears that had accumulated beneath his head.

Huddling himself into a small ball within his covers, Isaac silently wept. _All I do is drive people away. Weyard would be a better place without me. I'm a useless excuse for a hero; Felix could've led the group without me there._

It was a pitiful sight to behold: a twenty-year-old young man weeping into his pillow while desperately grasping an article of clothing hanging from his bedpost. He rubbed his eyes and flipped over to face his desk. He had forgotten to close the drawer in which he had stuck Mia's letters last night. Without hesitation, he reached in to retrieve them.

_I wish you were here, Mia. You'd know just what to say to me to make me feel like everything would be okay. Maybe you'd even be able to convince Jenna to come back to me…_

Even the thought of having Mia speak to Jenna made him upset. He could feel his lip quiver before a large gasp of air filled his lungs. He could never ask Mia to do something like that. He hoped that she would never have to speak to Jenna again. Mia was the reason his relationship was ruined.

_I'm such a dick! How can I even think to blame this on her?! This is my own fault and I'm in no place to be blaming anyone else. If I had just been there for Jenna more, none of this would have happened._

Voices from downstairs interrupted Isaac's depressing thoughts.

"Hello Garet," came his father's voice.

"Hi Mr...I mean Kyle. Is Isaac around?" The Mars adept's voice sounded groggy and a little hoarse.

"Yes, but I don't think he's feeling well. I'll go see if he's willing to see anyone."

"No need, sir. I'll take care of him. Besides, it's okay if he doesn't wanna talk much. I'm a bit hung over so some peace and quiet will do me good. I just wanted some company."

"Sounds reasonable enough. Go on upstairs then."

"Thank you."

Garet's loud, clumsy stomps sounded from the stairs outside of Isaac's room. Isaac figured that there'd be no way to make him leave at this point, so he started to sit up on his bed. He wasn't in the mood to kick Garet out anyways.

"Isaac, you up?" asked Garet, knocking on his door.

"Yeah, one sec," he answered gloomily. He slowly made his way to the door and unlocked it, shuffling back to his bed without even waiting for Garet to come in.

"Man, you look awful," said Garet, suppressing his usually loud voice so not to disturb his headache, "and here I thought I was the one who drank too much last night."

"…I'm not really in the mood for jokes right now…"

"Whoa, sorry Mr. Downer. But in all seriousness, you don't look so good, Isaac. You sick or something?"

"No, I just…never mind, it's nothing."

Garet gave him a confused look, genuinely concerned for his closest friend, "I know it's not 'nothing'. Everything okay?"

Isaac looked up at his friend from where he was sitting on the edge of his bed. Garet stood a few feet away from him, obviously concerned about the Venus adept. Sighing, he dropped his gaze back to the floor, "I…I dunno if I can-"

"Look, Isaac, if you don't feel like telling me right now that's fine. But from the way you're sitting and looking like someone just died, I'd say it'd be better if you let it out."

"Garet…" Isaac looked at him again. Garet had taken a seat in his desk chair, waiting for some sort of response.

"Did something happen after I passed out yesterday?"

"…Jenna…she…" Isaac could feel his eyes watering, but forced himself not to cry in front of his friend, "…she broke up with me…"

Garet was silent for a moment, obviously taken aback by what he just heard. "…Man…I'm really sorry, Isaac. What happened? I thought everything was going well again."

"She was pretending…forcing herself to love me…"

He went on to explain all that had happened from when they dropped off Garet up until he ran home from the bridge.

"I couldn't believe it…I can't believe that she would fall for someone else. It's killing me," said Isaac, still fighting his tears.

"Yikes, and here I thought you two were getting closer."

"So did I. But it was all a ploy; a scam to make me feel better. Why couldn't she have given me more time?"

"I dunno what to tell you, man. I guess she was afraid to hurt you, but couldn't keep pretending; especially if it meant you'd get hurt more if she let it go on longer."

Isaac had figured that out for himself. It seemed like the obvious reasoning for why she did it, but he just couldn't grasp why she had to at all. He could've made things work out if she'd only given him more time. Now he was alone and didn't know what to do with himself.

"Who could it be?" he mumbled, forcing Garet to strain himself to catch what he said.

"I honestly have no idea. It could be any guy in the village."

"Do you think she might have cheated on me? What if she was fooling around with some other guy while trying to figure out a way to break it off with me?"

"I doubt she'd do that, Isaac. She's not the type of person to go behind someone's back, and she's definitely not a slut."

"I dunno. I just can't shake this feeling like maybe she did something with someone else. What if the other guy came onto her but she didn't resist and it turned into something more?"

"Take it from me; I doubt anyone would try to make a move on her if they knew you were with her. Like me, for instance," Isaac glanced up to see Garet blush slightly. "…Well…you know that we've both been into her ever since we were kids. I was planning to ask her out, but when I saw you make the first move I knew it was hands off. We're all respectful here in New Vale, Isaac. I may still have feelings for her, but I know she's off limits."

Isaac smiled slightly, happy to know that his friend was considerate of his feelings above even his own. "Thanks, Garet. I appreciate that. Technically she's free now, but I'm glad you'll hold off for my sake."

"No problem, man. After all it's 'bros before hoes', and you're no hoe, Isaac."

He gave a breathy chuckle at Garet's comment. He was glad that Garet was trying to make him feel better, but it would definitely take some time before he was ready to face the world again.

"Anyways, I'm probably not the best one to talk about this with. But, hey, Mia'll be here in a couple weeks, right?"

"Maybe three…"

"Okay, so maybe it'll be a bit longer than you want, but she'll be here regardless and I'm sure she'll be able to cheer you up. She's always had a knack for that."

It was a simple comment about Mia, but Isaac could feel his cheeks grow hot. He couldn't help thinking that Garet had directed his compliment mostly towards him instead of meaning that she was good at cheering up everyone. Garet, who had simply meant it as a regular comment, quickly noticed Isaac's flushed cheeks, and pounced on the chance to add in a snide remark.

"Oh I see how it is," he jeered, smirking as he did so. Isaac was forced to avert his gaze away from the young man sitting in front of him. "Seems like you're already over Jenna, eh Casanova?"

"Shut up! It's not like that. I'm still devastated over Jenna! I just didn't really give much thought to Mia helping me get through this."

"Haha, relax, man. Besides, I'm sure that she can help take your mind off of Jenna for a while."

Once again, Isaac felt his face turning a deeper shade of red. Garet laughed this time, realizing how Isaac could have misinterpreted that statement as well. _Stupid Garet. At least he's trying to help me out; even if it is in his own dumb way._

"I was kidding around the first time, man, but seeing you turn as red as you did just now was just too much. I'm starting to wonder if you actually _do _have a thing for pretty little Miss Mia."

Isaac tossed his damp pillow at Garet's head and fell back onto his bed, turning to face away from the Mars adept. He knew Garet meant well, but he was getting irritated by all this Mia talk. He was glad that Mia would be able to help him, but he didn't want her to see him like this; especially if it meant ruining the friendship that she and Jenna had. _Wait, why would it ruin their friendship? It's not like I'd be making Mia take sides. Damn Garet, getting all these stupid ideas in my head. I wish he'd stop being a douche and just let me be sad for a while._ Isaac knew he was being overly emotional, but he couldn't stop the thoughts in his head. What kind of a request was letting your best friend wallow in grief, anyways?

"Gross, this pillow's wet!" cried Garet, tossing it back onto Isaac's bed. "Anywho, you never answered my question."

"Will you just shut up about Mia?!"

"…Dude, chill out. Man, I knew people were prone to getting emotional after breakups, but that seems a little uncalled for. I'm just trying to help you out."

"Yeah, well now you're just pissing me off."

"Isaac…you know I'm just kidding around. I'm truly sorry that it didn't work out, but you shouldn't take it out on yourself or me."

"I just…I think I need to be alone for a while."

Garet opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. Instead, he got up from Isaac's chair and walked towards the door.

"Get some rest, man. I'll come back when you're feeling less…edgy. I think I'll go see how Jenna's doing."

"Hah, as if _she_ needs anyone to talk to. She's probably out with her new man."

Garet stopped at Isaac's doorway and turned to face him once more. Perhaps he was fed up with Isaac's downer attitude, or maybe it was because he didn't like to hear him slander the girl they both had feelings for; whatever the reason, it was the first time Isaac heard Garet speak to him so sternly and maturely.

"You know, Isaac, I know you're upset, but you shouldn't be so rude about it. Jenna may have left you for someone else, but you probably aren't the only one who's hurting right now. Just because she said she didn't love you doesn't mean she wasn't afraid of ruining what the two of you had before you started dating. If anything, she could be hurting more than you are if she thinks she destroyed her relationship with one of her best friends! I didn't think you could be so insensitive to the situation. Maybe when you're done feeling sorry for yourself, you'll understand what she's going through as well. Don't be so quick to cast judgment upon people, Isaac. I'll stop by tonight when you've stopped being so selfish."

Isaac grumbled something incomprehensible, signaling Garet to leave. He heard his door close and the heavy footsteps going down the stairs before breathing out a long sigh. Garet had never spoken to anyone in such a manner, and Isaac was quite appalled to find himself the one of whom Garet was angry with. Sniffling, he covered his head with the pillow. _Even Garet is more mature than I am. He may like to fool around and be an idiot, but he knows how to be serious. I can't do anything right._ His thinking was cut off by a knock at his door.

"Isaac, son, can we talk for a bit."

"Fine… the door's open."

Kyle entered his room, a soft look of concern on his face. He had always been the typical father figure to Isaac: wise, caring, and always concise. Sitting down beside his son's figure lying on the bed, he placed a hand on Isaac's shoulder.

"That Garet sure has grown up. He'll make a fine mayor someday. I didn't know he had it in him to make a speech like that."

Isaac groaned. He wasn't in the mood to hear his father praise the fact that his best friend had just rendered him useless for words.

"You know he's right, son. I figured out what had happened when you locked your mother out of your room earlier. I've had my share of heartbreak in the past too, you know."

"…Maybe so, but you still met Mom, and you two have been great together ever since."

Kyle chuckled a bit before continuing. "You'd think that; seeing us now, anyhow. What you'd be surprised to know is that she didn't take too kindly to me back in the day. She wasn't my only love, though. Believe it or not, my first real girlfriend was none other than Garet's mother."

Isaac thought that very strange. To think that he and Garet could have legitimately been brothers seemed quite odd. Remaining silent, he allowed his father to continue.

"Yes, we were quite the couple. I still remember the day she left me. Much like you, I was absolutely devastated; heartbroken you might say. I moped around for months until I found out she was with someone else. That was when everything really hit home for me. I felt like I had lost everything. It wasn't until I decided to stop lingering in the past that I finally found someone for my future."

"Mom…"

"Yes, Isaac. It took me quite some time, but I met your mother while I was out on the road. You'd never know she wasn't from Vale, given how popular she is around here now. Nevertheless, it wasn't here that I met her."

"Dad, why are you telling me all of this? Do you…do you want me to leave home?"

"Of course not, son. What I'm trying to get at is that there's more to life than just grieving over your past. If you don't open yourself up to new opportunities, you'll never know you're missing. Whether it turns out to be Jenna or someone else, you might miss the love of your life by sitting at home. I know you just broke up last night, and this will take time to heal, but it's best to move on early."

"I…I don't know if I can. She was my entire life for the past three years."

"It won't be easy, I know, but I know you can. It's good to grieve a bit, but the best way to move forward is to get yourself back out there. Don't even concentrate on girls; love will find its own way to you. Right now you just have to focus on what _you_ want and the rest will follow suit."

Isaac was unsure of what to say. His father was exceptionally good at helping those in need, and he had certainly helped quell Isaac's temper, at least for now. His ability to get his point across quickly and effectively never ceased to amaze Isaac. He turned over to look at his father, giving him a small smile while doing so.

"Thanks, Dad."

"No need to thank me, Isaac. I was just telling you what needed to be said." With that, he got up from Isaac's bedside and went back downstairs.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Night came quickly, as Isaac had spent most of his day in bed. After finishing his letter to Mia and sending it off with her carrier pigeon, he took a walk up to the bridge. He was relieved that Jenna's house was somewhat far from his own; he could avoid bumping into her while still getting to his destination. As he passed by Garet's he remembered the things the Mars adept had said to him earlier. He thought of ways that he could apologize as he neared the pond.

Unlike last night's relatively clear skies, there were some thing clouds covering the moon tonight. The small waterfall had completely frozen over, allowing for a thin layer of snow to build up on the frozen pond. Rather than leaning on the rail, as he usually did, Isaac plopped himself down on the snow, letting his feet rest on the frozen surface of the water. The ice was thick enough to support his legs, so he lay back, relaxing in the contours of the chilly white powder beneath him. He thought about many things, but his mind always led back to last night. He thought it odd that he was still drawn to this place, especially after what happened here the other night. Perhaps he thought that some piece of the conversation might wriggle itself back into his mind that might hint at saving his relationship with Jenna. He had seriously taken both Garet and his father's words of advice to heart, but it was still much too soon to start getting over her. He sighed, not wanting to cry, for fear of his tears freezing to his face.

"Isaac?" came a voice from beyond his field of vision.

He sat up and turned around to see who had called his name. He breathed a sigh of relief when he only saw Garet. He wasn't really sure who to expect, but only hoped that it was not Jenna. Strangely, he was also a bit upset that it wasn't her; not that he would've known what to say to her right now.

"Hey Garet. What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same question," he replied nonchalantly. "Your parents said you went out for a walk. I figured that you're always up here, and there were footprints leading this way."

Isaac averted his gaze for a moment. He forgot that Garet said he was going to check up on him, and felt guilty that he had left the house.

"Sorry, my room was getting stuffy so I came out here to think."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead."

The Mars adept bumbled over and sat down next to Isaac. The two of them sat in silence for a while. Isaac thought it was strange that Garet had come to check on him but hadn't said much of anything. He decided that he would break the awkward silence between them.

"…So why are you out here, again?"

"Because I was supposed to come check on you. I told you that earlier, remember?"

"Yeah, but I was just confused because you haven't really said much. I figured if you wanted to see how I was doing you'd at least ask me."

"Right, well, I know you well enough that I can tell just by looking. Besides, you seem to be doing better now."

"Mm," he replied, nodding slightly. The two sat in silence again until Isaac was pressed to ask another question. "Is…is everything alright with her…Jenna I mean?"

He noticed Garet's cheeks flush a bit as he finished the question, but overlooked it thinking that perhaps it was just the cold.

"She's…uh…I guess she's okay? I don't really know how to describe how she was…"

Isaac was lost already. He assumed she would be either obviously desolate or hiding any sadness she had, but now he was wondering what sort of display of emotions she had shown that had made Garet act so strangely. Unsure if he should press on, Isaac cautiously approached the subject.

"Oh…well, uh, what…what does that mean exactly? It's not the most sensible thing you've ever said to me."

"Well, she…she…um…how do I put this in words?"

"Was she upset?"

"Yes…and no…"

Isaac was really beginning to question what had transpired. If only he had been there, but he knew that would have been impossible. "Okay…why don't you just walk me through what happened after you left my house."

"I guess I could, but," he paused, looking away from Isaac, "you have to promise that you won't get mad at me for not intervening. I honestly can't believe what she did…"

Isaac wasn't completely sure he could promise that, judging from all the strange things that Garet had been saying, but was forced to comply. Sighing, he answered, "I promise."

"Well, after I told you to consider Jenna's feelings I left to go find her…"

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The ground thundered with small earthquake tremors as he ran from the pond back to his home. Isaac bolted up to his room, tears streaming from his eyes. How could she do this to him?! Did their relationship mean so little to her that she would do that? He couldn't believe what Garet had told him, yet there was such truth in his eyes. He couldn't even keep his promise not to take it out on his friend, much to Garet's chagrin; however, it seemed that he had prepared for Isaac not to keep his promise. _Why didn't he stop her?! _he mentally screamed. _That's it, if I truly mean so little to her then I won't stay. Dad was right. If I want to find my own happiness I have to get back out there._ With that thought in mind, Isaac retrieved a blank roll of parchment on which he began scribbling down a letter for his parents to find. When he finished writing it, he hastily packed some things away in his bag. He slid some armour on over his clothes and slung his sword and shield over his shoulder. On his belt he carried a pouch full of healing remedies, a pocketknife, and other various travel necessities. Making sure to pack extra clothes in his bag, Isaac eyed the red neckerchief hanging from his bedpost. Already adorning the scarf around his neck, he seriously contemplated whether or not to bring the other clothing article. While it may have brought him painful memories, it also reminded him that things were once good in his life. With that thought he tossed it in his bag and placed the note on his pillow.

"_Master Isaac,_" a voice from nowhere in particular sounded. Isaac glanced around before a small flash of light appeared before his eyes. Floating in front of him was a small brown djinni. "_What are you doing?_" the djinni asked him mentally.

"We're going," murmured Isaac, only half paying attention to the small being. "It's time that we set out from New Vale on a quest of our own."

"_But where will we go?_"

"It doesn't matter, Flint, but we can't stay here. There's nothing here but pain and sadness. We need to find a new place to settle where we can be content."

"_Master,"_ started Flint, "_is it wise to go out into the wilderness at night? There are powerful monsters out there now!"_

"I don't care. I'll kill anything that dares to cross me right now."

Realizing that he wouldn't be able to convince Isaac to stay, Flint admitted defeat, "_…Have you brought parchment? You may need it on the journey forward. You should also bring your bird in case we need to contact someone. I can also sense that you wish to bring Lady Mia's letters, but have refrained from doing so. It is not my place to tell you what to do, Master, but I think it would be wise to bring them if they shall help to keep you from returning here."_

Isaac was always amazed with the wisdom of djinn. It should have come as no surprise, considering they could contact the gods, but he was glad that Flint had convinced him to bring the letters. "You're right, Flint. These are the only things keeping me here. If I hope to leave this place without looking back I'll need to keep these with us."

Carefully folding them into a small pouch on his bag, Isaac looked around to make sure he had everything before quietly slipping out of his house, down to the entrance of New Vale, and out of the village under the cover of darkness.

* * *

I know what you're all wondering now: "OMG WHAT DID GARET SAY?! WHAT DID JENNA DO?!" and if you actually screamed that out then I have officially succeeded in making a mid-story cliffhanger :) (Mid-story because it wasn't at the end of the chapter, but led up to the events that made the ending suspenseful).

Anyways I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, R&R and check out my soundcloud! (Link on my profile)

_-GengaJupite_


	7. Emptiness

Hello again, everyone!

Thanks to **Mr0cheese, AnriMia24, **and **Golden Sun Guy 17** for reviewing! I love making people wonder what will happen next and I'm also glad that my attempts at comic relief with the kids is working. :)

I don't really have anything else to say before this chapter other than to check out my soundcloud! (Thanks to those of you who have done so. Link on my profile.)

Disclaimer: Who owns Golden Sun? Camelot does!

* * *

A light crunch came with each step Isaac took across the snowy plains. There was nothing but white in every direction and it was beginning to hurt his tired eyes. After leaving the village, he had walked all through the night so that he could cover as much ground as possible. It would be difficult to hide his trail, so he figured that instead of hiding it he would just get as far away as his body would allow. Shivering, he breathed onto his gloved hands. Isaac was tolerant to cold temperatures, but walking through a frozen landscape for an entire night without stopping would leave even the people of Prox with chills.

"_Master Isaac," _sounded one of the djinn's mental voices, "_we should rest somewhere. It isn't safe to continue like this."_

"And where do you suppose we can rest, Quartz?" responded a rather irritated Isaac. "We passed by Vault sometime last night, and the closest town is Lunpa. I doubt we'd receive a warm welcome from Dodonpa."

"_But you are sick. We have assessed your body, and you are in need of medical attention or at least some rest to regain your strength."_

"We can't stop now. If I want to get away from New Vale then I can't risk being caught up to. You have to underst- _Aaaaaauuugh!_"

A sharp pain suddenly stabbed at his leg. Isaac had been so caught up in his conversation with Quartz that he failed to see the small pack of rat warriors coming at him. One managed to jab its spear into Isaac's leg, which now tainted the snow with red blood drops. He managed to dodge a second attack before hopping back to draw his sword. Though he barely noticed, the wound was quite deep and would not allow him to move very much.

He was already irritable from his lack of sleep, but Isaac was now pulsing with rage. The pain of losing Jenna to someone else spurred his attack on the rats standing before him. Three of them thrust their spears forward, only to have them parried by the blade of Isaac's sword. Knocking them off balance, he slashed them across their bellies and watched as they fell back. The other three had circled behind him, preparing to ambush him while he felled their comrades. He felt another spear pierce his back, and cried out in pain. Furiously, he whipped around and smashed his attacker's head with his shield, effectively breaking its skull. Another charged at him while the other took a few steps back. Isaac sneered at the charging rat, noting that its companion was attempting to flee. Easily decapitating it, he looked up towards the final rat which he suspected was about to run. However, the rat warrior looked at its headless companion before bringing its eyes to Isaac. It snarled at him angrily, but Isaac stood ready for the final attack. Unexpectedly, it reached into a pouch and stealthily tossed something at Isaac's feet. Isaac snorted at the pathetic attempt to hit him until he realized that it was a smoke bomb. The mild blast made him stumble and a thick haze blocked him from seeing even a few inches in front of him. He expected the rat to attack him in this moment of disorientation, but instead heard a loud screeching sound. Finally, he managed to clear the haze enough to see what was going on. The rat had relinquished an odd-looking curved horn and blown in it to call for reinforcements.

"Great," Isaac muttered through gritted teeth, "I'm losing my edge out here. Or maybe the rats are getting stronger."

The rat stopped blowing the horn and clapped its shield with its spear a few times; it was taunting Isaac. He was not one to be taken lightly, though, especially by a pathetic rat warrior. He called one of his djinn upon the creature, wanting it to suffer more than the others.

"Mold! Kill this bastard!" he shouted.

A strange glow emanated from the rat and it looked at its body confusedly. Without warning, it took its own spear and pierced itself through the chin and out the top of its head. Isaac smirked as the glow left its body and disappeared.

He was about to heal his wounds when a blunt force hit him in the back of the head. Collapsing in the snow, he felt his sword fly from his hands. In a slight daze, he flipped over to see what had hit him. A large group of punch ants, rat warriors, and vermin were charging in his direction after seeing their fallen comrades disintegrating around him. A strangely large punch ant was bearing down on him, winding up its right fists for another swing at his face. Isaac quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the punches aimed right for his nose.

_Crap, I can't get away from these! With my leg and back like this, they'll catch me in no time!_ He coughed up some blood, trying to stand up before another attack came. Luckily the leading punch ant seemed to be the only one close enough to attack him, so he just had to avoid its attacks for now. He got to his feet, dizziness blurring his vision. Isaac eyed his sword lying in the snow a few feet in front of him. He attempted to run to it, but tripped over a spear from one of the disintegrated rats. Cursing, he felt the punch ant leap onto his back with a flurry of jabs aimed at the back of his head. Quickly kicking it off, Isaac lunged for his sword and quickly swung it around, slicing off the ant's fists. It contorted and fell down in agony. It wasn't dead but he decided to ignore it since it would not pose a threat to him anymore.

He used the few seconds he had to sloppily heal his wounds. Unfortunately, Isaac's head was still spinning from the sucker punches, and he wasn't able to cure his dizziness. He was starting to feel woozy. Concentrating as hard as he could, he called upon his psynergy to aid him.

"_**GRAND GAIA!"**_

A large chasm appeared in the ground, releasing huge chunks of earth that flew up out of the hole and hurled themselves towards the oncoming army of monsters. Isaac stumbled and fell back on the ground as he watched a portion of the army get crushed under the rubble. However, he could feel the strain of casting such a powerful spell taking its toll on his body. What was worse was that the bulk of the army was still charging towards him. He couldn't move, the spell had proven too much for his spinning head and he soon found himself staring at the sky; gravity felt stronger now. The army came upon him in an onslaught of spears and punches, and within moments Isaac blacked out completely…

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

_Karis gasped, clutching Tyrell's hand even tighter. Tyrell, who had been excited about the battle, now hid his face in Karis's little dress out of fear of the monsters. Matthew was silently crying, telling his stuffed Flint that it would be okay. Even Garet, who had heard this story before, shuddered thinking about his friend in such a hopeless predicament._

"_U-Uncle Isaac," stuttered a frightened Tyrell, glancing around to make sure there weren't any monsters in the room, "did…did you die?"_

_Karis flicked him in the ear. "You dummy! He couldn't die; otherwise he wouldn't be alive right now!"_

"_Hey, I'm not dumb!"_

"_Actually, Karis," said Isaac, "I was very close to dying that day. In fact, I'm told that I was fading in between life and death for quite some time. I suppose, technically, I was on the brink of death: dead and alive at the same time."_

"_Oh," answered Karis, dropping her gaze in slight embarrassment. "Sorry, Tyrell, I shouldn't have said you were a dummy." She kissed him on the cheek to apologize. Tyrell had long since given up on trying to stop her from being his 'girlfriend', but still grimaced when she did things like that._

"Awwwe well isn't that cute?" _sounded a female's voice._

_Matthew gasped, glancing around the room while clutching his stuffed Flint tighter, "W-who said that?"_

"_Monsters!" screamed Tyrell._

"_Relax, son," Garet soothed Tyrell, rubbing his son's shoulder. "Fever, quit hiding! You're scaring the kids!"_

_A small red-tinged flash emitted from one of the stuffed Mars djinn lying on the floor. Standing up, it turned around to face the adepts on the couch and floated over to Tyrell, landing on his lap. Tyrell was still jumpy about monsters, so he squealed when Fever landed on him. Looking up at Garet, Fever spoke mentally again._

"Really, Garet, I thought you would have told them about us! Is this really the first time they've all seen a _real_ djinni?"

_Isaac and Garet both looked at each other, then back at Fever, feeling a little guilty that they hadn't shown their kids what a real djinni was like._

"Mmf, speak for yourself, Fever, I've been around this whole time! Ack…choking…can't….breathe"

_Matthew yelped and released his stuffed Flint, scrambling to get away from it. "Y-you just talked! You can't talk! You're just a toy!"_

_The 'stuffed' Flint hopped over to Fever, much to Tyrell's dismay, and turned around to face Matthew. _"My, my, aren't you a clever one," _he voiced sarcastically. _"Well I've been a toy for the past three years because there wasn't really a need for me to show myself. However, little miss Fever over here," _he bumped her, _"just haaaad to make herself known. We talked about this, Fever! We were supposed to wait until they were older!"

"_Wait!" interrupted Karis. "Does that mean that my Gust and Breeze are real djinn too?"_

"I am!" _a cheery male voice called to their minds. _"But this Breeze toy here is just a toy…"

_A faint purple flash emitted from one of the Jupiter djinn sitting on the ground. He flapped his wings and perched himself on Karis's head. She giggled while he nestled in her hair._

"Breeze went off somewhere in Morgal. I've been so lonely without her. Zephyr and Squall don't keep good company. They just like staying with Master Ivan."

_Karis took him from her head and gave him a tight squeeze. Then she rested him with the rest of the djinn on Tyrell's lap._

"So, Master, let's hear the rest of the story!"_ said Flint._

_Isaac smiled at the group. He was a bit hesitant to continue with a bigger audience, but realized that the djinn had been listening all along. This was a good way to get rid of his depressed mood; sitting by the fireplace with friends and family while reciting the stories of his past._

"_Let's see here. I blacked out and the next thing I remember was hearing voices…"_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"How is he, Great Healer?"

"He seems to be doing better, though he is still in a very critical condition."

_There are voices. I know one of them._

"Well, at least he's alive."

"Yes, young Isaac here is very fortunate that the two of you found him when you did."

_Who is it though? Why can't I open my eyes? I can't move at all. Two of them? Where did they find me?_

"I'm just glad we got there in time."

"Mm. You should get some rest. You've barely slept since you brought him here."

"Thank you, Great Healer, but I think I'd like to stay by his side a little longer to make sure he's okay."

"Are you sure? You seem awfully tired. Why don't you get your companion to watch him while you rest a bit? I will inform you if he wakes."

_They sound worried about me. What happened? Where am I? Who are these people?_

"…I suppose you're right. Please don't hesitate to come get me if he so much as stirs."

"I shall. Have a pleasant sleep."

_Silence. I want to see them. Why can't I remember that person's name? I hope I'm not home. I remember trying to leave home. Quartz was telling me something. Where could I be? What am I doing here? Why…_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Isaac's vision was blurred when he finally managed to open his eyes. How long had he been in this place? It was dark in the room, lit only by torches in a seemingly cave-like hall. A sanctum, perhaps? He seemed to be lying on some sort of medical bed. It was cushioned, but underneath the cushion was stone. It was hard and uncomfortable. Who were those voices from before? He knew one voice, but couldn't put a name or a face to them. He couldn't move his head and he couldn't see or hear anyone. He tried to get up, but his body would not respond to his attempts. It was much too painful to force anything right now. He tried to call for someone, but only a groan escaped his scratched throat.

Then he heard something: footsteps. Again he tried to turn his head towards the sound, but to no avail. The footsteps came closer until a figure stood above him. He focused his eyes until the image of this person became clear. A woman. He recognized her, but could not put a name to her face.

"Isaac, you are awake. I am glad," she said. She had a different voice from the people before, but he still recognized this woman's face.

He groaned again, trying to speak. Maybe she could heal him.

"Oh, your throat has not healed. I will bring you something." She left briefly and returned with a vial of green liquid. Gently, she poured it into his mouth. The liquid soothed his throat and he could feel his voice returning to him. Some of the aches of his body lessened, but not enough to allow him to move.

"Thanks," he croaked. His voice was hoarse, but at least he could speak now. "Where am I?"

"You are in Bilibin sanctum," she replied. "Has your vision cleared yet?"

He glanced around. He no longer had to concentrate to focus on something. "Yes, I can see."

"Good. You are healing smoothly. Do you…know who I am?"

He looked at her again. He knew her, but her name was escaping him. She looked quite unique, and it only added to his frustration. Purple hair, green eyes, a Xianese accent. "F…Fuh…F…I'm sorry, I can't recall your name, but I know you."

She smiled, "Do not worry, Isaac. It has been nearly three years since I last saw you. I see you are wearing the ring I entrusted that old man to give to you."

She slid it off his finger and showed it to him. That ring. Where had it come from? Kraden had given it to him in Contigo. He said it was from a friend, a _special_ friend. It was a beautiful golden colour and he wished to thank whoever had been so kind as to give him something as precious as this.

"Thank you for the ring. I wish I could remember your name. I'm having a hard time recalling many names right now."

"I see," she replied, "the back of your skull was beginning to cave. I would be surprised if you remembered anything right now. My name is Feizhi, the daughter of Master Feh and student of Master Hama. You showed us your Ki in Xian. Then you used it to rescue Hsu from the boulders."

Memories flooded back to his mind. Back in Xian, Silk Road, Altin, everywhere in Eastern Angara. He had learned the power of Ki from Master Nyunpa and fooled the Xianese fighters into thinking it was Chi.

"F-Feizhi…I remember now. Why am I in the sanctum? I'm in so much pain. Where are the others? I could hear them earlier, but I couldn't see or speak."

"Ah, they are resting now, but I shall wake them at once. We shall explain everything to you when everyone is ready."

With that she turned to get the others. He thanked her as she left, hoping that some memories of what happened would come back to him. He began to doze, trying to concentrate on what had resulted in him being immobile in a sanctum. _I was leaving home. New Vale, that's what it's called. Good, at least I remember that. Why was I leaving, though? I remember…sadness…emotional turmoil…heartbreak. I was…in love? This doesn't make sense. I didn't want to be followed. I…I…I can't remember. I wish Garet were here, or Jenna. She would know what to say. She would know why I left. Did I leave for her? Did she go somewhere? This is so frustrating!_

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the large sanctum doors opening followed by three pairs of feet. He wished he could turn to see who it was, but his body screamed at him when he tried to move. Helplessly, he lay there waiting for them to come to him.

"Ah, you are awake! Thank the gods!" an old man's voice resounded. It echoed off the large stone walls around them.

"I have brought them, Isaac," said Feizhi. "Have you remembered anything more?"

"No," he answered sadly. They were still out of his field of view. It must be a large sanctum he thought to himself.

"Isaac…" sounded another voice; the voice from earlier. A soft and gentle woman's voice. Who could it be?

They finally reached the bed and stood around him, each with a different expression upon their faces. Feizhi was smiling at him. She already knew that he was awake so it came as no surprise. The old man bore an uncanny resemblance to someone he knew, yet his voice was different. The man's beard and moustache must have been as long as the two girl's hair. He had a stern expression on his face while he mumbled something quietly. His hands were hovering over Isaac's body, a white glow emanating from them. _He's a healer; a Great Healer. They always look the same as each other._ The white glow confused Isaac for a moment. White was not the colour of any psynergy he knew of, but then he remembered that non-adepts could not use psynergy. Great Healers were typically blessed with some special healing powers, but it was different than psynergy. Looking to the last person, he couldn't help but feel warm inside. She was smiling slightly, but a worried expression masked it. _Wow, she's gorgeous. Why do I feel like I know her? Stupid brain!_ His chest stirred, and he couldn't help but smile at her.

"Isaac… do you know who I am?" she asked; her voice soothed him.

"I… I think…" he answered. A flicker of a memory came to his mind momentarily, "The Angel Healer of Imil…"

She smiled, her eyes were glistening. She had such a pretty smile, but why did she look sad? Had he said something wrong? Why was she crying?

"Yes, Isaac, but do you know my name?"

He concentrated, trying to bring back memories of this azure-haired girl. Her pale complexion was complemented by the orange glow of the torchlight. That image helped him remember something about her, but not her name. Hoping that it might help him to remember, he squeezed his eyes shut and audibly recalled what he could.

"We were standing…on a bridge… A pond by my home, New Vale. It was sunset. We…had a…ceremony that day. You were in a pale blue dress. We talked about…uh…I can't remember. Damn, why can't I remember? We were celebrating…the end of our adventure…and rebuilding New Vale. You looked stunning. I didn't tell you that, though."

He opened his eyes, unable to recall anything else. She was blushing, and a tear fell from her eye onto his shoulder. That sparked another memory.

"You…you and some other people left. What were their names? Felix was with them. There was…I…I…uh…I-something and She…something and a captain of some sort and you. You were crying…I was too. We hugged for a long time. But…I still can't remember your name…"

She cried more intensely now. Sniffling, she tried to wipe her tears, but many escaped and fell to his shoulder. He hadn't meant to make her cry.

"I'm sorry… I wish I could remember your name. I can't remember anyone's name from that day; only my old friends and family from Vale."

"I-It's alright, Isaac. Feizhi s-said that you were having t-trouble remembering names. I was only hoping t-that m-m-maybe you'd still remember your M-Mia."

Mia? Was that her name? Suddenly he felt his mind flood with memories again. Their adventure, the knighting ceremony, the bridge, the day she left, her letters, everything came back to him. "Mia…? I…I remember now. How could I let myself forget you? Mia, my beautiful Imilian friend." They both blushed but smiled at each other. Her tears still flowed, but they were now tears of joy.

"Oh, Isaac, I wish I could hug you, but your injuries are too great and it would only hurt you."

"That's alright; we can hug when I'm fully healed." Remembering something, he asked all of them, "Where are my things?"

"We have kept them locked away so to prevent any thieves from taking them. You seem to have had a few valuables with you," said Feizhi, walking over towards a locked door.

Isaac felt a cooling sensation come over his body. He looked away from Feizhi to see Mia aiding the Great Healer. Her palms glowed blue and he could feel his aching muscles relax. She walked towards his head and examined it.

"Isaac," she said a little shakily, "this…this may hurt. I'm not sure how badly, but fractured skulls are always painful."

He braced himself for the pain, "Okay… I'm ready."

She placed her hands beside his ears and slowly seeped her psynergy into him. He had braced himself for pain, but he didn't realize that it would be the most excruciating experience of his life. It felt like his head was imploding, and he tried to keep himself from crying out, but the pain was unbearable. His body shook, as it wasn't healed enough to flail around. The agony still caused him to perceive his body as writhing around, though. It had only been a few minutes, but Isaac felt like she had been healing him for hours before she finally stopped.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered into his ear. "Your skull is healed now. I had to wait until you were awake. I had to make sure your mind was still intact before I could heal it. I didn't want to heal your brain if you would forget everything you've ever known."

He was gasping for air and he could feel his heart racing. After a while he managed to stammer something out, "It's okay, Mia. I'm glad you're looking out for me. You've always been good at that."

She smiled at him. "We should let you get some rest. I expect you'll be strong enough by tomorrow to move around."

"Thanks everyone. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll have recovered some more of my memory."

"I should think so," said the Great Healer, who had been silent through all of this. "You were easily able to recall things once these ladies told you their names, meaning your amnesia is not severe. With some rest, I believe most, if not all, of your memories should be restored by tomorrow afternoon."

"Good night, Isaac. I look forward to hearing your story tomorrow," said Feizhi, bringing his things to rest beside his bed. She then turned and headed towards the door.

"I will give you two some privacy," said the Great Healer, following after Feizhi.

When he heard the doors close, Isaac spoke again. "Aren't you going to get some rest, Mia? I heard you and the Great Healer speaking earlier. He said you hadn't slept much since I've been here. By the way, how long _have_ I been here?"

Mia giggled a bit before answering him, "Shh, everything will be explained tomorrow, Sleeping Beauty. Don't worry about me; you just concentrate on getting better. I'm going to make sure that you're alright before I go to bed."

"Oh. Okay then, I just thought you might feel more comfortable somewhere else," he paused and smirked, "I mean, I didn't know one of your hobbies was watching people in their sleep."

She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, trying to stifle her laughter. "Well I didn't know you accepted gold rings from old men claiming they came from 'special friends'."

He laughed lightly, the convulsions hurting his ribs. She laughed as well before telling him seriously that he should rest up. Sighing, he agreed that she was right and closed his eyes.

"Good night, Mia."

"Sleep well, Isaac."

He wasn't sure if he'd imagined it, or if it had been part of his dream, but right before he fell asleep Isaac swore he felt a soft kiss on his cheek.

* * *

As you can see, I'm prolonging the suspense from last chapter into the next chapter. :)

So what did you guys think? I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter because of the cute little IsaacxMia banter going on at the end and because it gave me a chance to practice writing some fight scenes (which will be more prominent in my next fic. I've already got an outline :)). Giving him amnesia was a completely spur-of-the-moment idea, but I think it worked because it allowed me to expand a bit on the IsaacxMia infatuation.

Hopefully you're all bursting with questions at this point, and I'm glad to say that most, if not all, should be answered in the next chapter!

Let me know what you thought of this chapter in your reviews! And, as always, check out my soundcloud! (Link on my profile)

See you next chapter!

_-GengaJupite_


	8. Memories

Happy holidays, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying your time off from school (unless you're still in school; in which case, sucks to be you :P) …Man, other than the last part in parentheses, that sounded like a really generic, teacher-y holiday comment _*cries*._

Gaming update: finished The Last Story recently and it's definitely on the list of my top games. I'd say it's probably tied for second with Golden Sun, so I'd recommend playing it if you have a Wii. That makes two that I've recommended and I'm hoping there will be more for me to offer in the future :).

Anyways, here it is; the chapter that you've been waiting for. This is the one that will hopefully be answering any pertinent questions regarding anything to do with Garet, Jenna, Isaac, Mia, and Feizhi.

Thanks to **AnriMia24** and that one other guest for reviewing!

I'm just gonna put a little warning here, so hopefully everyone will notice this. I'm taking extra measures to make sure they see it.

_*******__**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS COARSE LANGUAGE AND SCENES OF VIOLENCE. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED**__*******_

Stupid little joke warning, but I am serious about there being some more mature language and although there have already been scenes of violence this has a part that's a little different. I'm really hoping that I won't have to change this to an M rating for maybe two or three F-bombs and 'poop'. So, yeah, I'm going to use that warning as a legit label, so if the story gets reported or something, I'll say that I did make sure everyone knew that this particular chapter was going to contain a few choice words. I only used them where I deemed necessary, and will hopefully not be using any more in the future, but if I do there'll be a warning label :P. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

Anyways, now that you're all settled and ready for a good ol' chapter about how Isaac tells a story about how he told Mia a story about Garet telling him a story and then let Mia tell him a story, let's begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own it…

* * *

Isaac awoke the next day, his body aching from the uncomfortable bed and still from whatever had him end up there in the first place. All through the night he had dreamed of strange things that seemed oddly familiar to him: Jenna crying in the moonlight, Garet telling him off, arguing with Quartz, and many instances of a bloody battlefield in the snow. What did this all mean? Were they somehow connected? He decided to wait until Mia and Feizhi told him where they had found him. Perhaps that would conjure up his memories, as learning their names had yesterday.

He found that he could move his body now. While it still hurt a bit to move, it was a relief that he was still able to control his muscles. Slowly, he sat up and, for the first time, got to look around the room that he'd been stuck in for an unknown number of days. It was, as he'd predicted, a fairly large sanctum built in a cave. He wished there were a window that he could look out to see what time it was, but unfortunately it was entirely lit by torches and candles. The only way he'd be able to check was if he opened the doors. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he carefully placed them on the ground. No good, they weren't used to carrying weight for the past while. He'd need a cane of some sort if he wanted to walk around on his own.

Thankfully, the doors opened and he was able to get a quick peek outside. It seemed to be about late morning. He watched as Mia and Feizhi came in, shaking the snowflakes out of their hair and off their shoulders.

"Morning," he called to them.

They both jumped a bit, thinking that he would still be asleep while his injuries healed. "Good morning, Isaac," they returned in unison.

"You are sitting up! That is good! Your body is doing quite well now!" exclaimed Feizhi.

"Yeah, I'm still a little sore though. I can't support my body weight on my legs right now."

"Don't worry," said Mia, "I brought a walking staff for you. I figured you wouldn't be strong enough to walk today."

Classic Mia, she always knew how to help him. Even when he didn't realize that something was wrong, she always had some kind of remedy or potion to heal him right away.

"How's the memory coming along?" she asked him as they made their way towards his bed.

"I… think it's doing better. I had some pretty weird dreams last night. They might've been memories. Maybe I'll remember by later today."

When they reached his bed, Mia gave him a worried look. "You haven't remembered anything more? Anything at all?"

"No… I'm sorry, Mia."

"Do you remember the names of your friends, Isaac?" asked Feizhi.

"No, but I can remember where I met them all. The first boy we met in Vault. I think he was raised in Kalay, but he was originally from Contigo."

"Ivan…" Mia spoke softly, trying to help him remember.

"That's right. Ivan, the Jupiter adept. He read my mind the first time I met him. Let's see, there was you of course, Mia, and there was another girl. She reminded me of Ivan. We first saw her in Tolbi when we were staying in Lord Babi's palace. Then we saw her at Venus lighthouse when Felix jumped after her. What did he call her? She…she… damn, I can't remember. She's from Lalivero, but nobody knows where she _really_ came from."

"Sheba…"

"Right, Sheba was in Felix's group when we met the last guy too. He's a sailor/adventurer from… an ancient city… We had to go there for Lord Babi until we found out he died. He even had his own ship…"

"Piers. He's from Lemuria, Isaac."

"Yeah, now I remember. I guess I remembered a bit, but there's still a lot missing. I still don't even know why I was leaving my home…"

"Mia, I think we should tell him about when we found him. It is possible that he may remember why if we tell him about it."

"You're right, Feizhi. Are you ready, Isaac?"

"Yes, please tell me everything."

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

_The morning wind chilled Mia as she walked along the plains. Even though she was used to living in a cold climate, travelling on a windy, snowy morning was not her greatest pleasure. At least she had someone to travel with now._

"_Thanks again for coming with me, Feizhi. You really didn't have to."_

"_That is all right, Mia, I thought that you could use the company. It is still quite a journey to New Vale, and there is no telling what sort of creatures you may run into. At least you will not have to face them alone now."_

_Mia smiled at her friend. They had only met once or twice for a brief time, but Feizhi was friendly enough. Mia was still surprised to see her in Bilibin. Feizhi had told her that she'd had another premonition, but it only told her to come meet someone she knew in Bilibin. Fate had planned for the two adepts to meet. They were now a few days out of Goma cave, and now only three days away from their destination. Mia could hardly hide her excitement._

"_Why are you going to New Vale, Mia?" asked Feizhi._

_Mia realized she hadn't actually told her, "Oh just to visit my old friends. It's been about half a year since I last saw them, so I decided now would be a good time." Secretly, she hoped mostly to see Isaac, but kept that from Feizhi, slightly blushing at the thought._

"_Ah, I see. I suppose it will be good for me to see them as well. I only hope they still remember me, and perhaps I will have the pleasure of meeting this Jenna you speak fondly of."_

"_I'm sure they'll remember you, Feizhi. Isaac has a much better memory than I do, and I remembered you, so he should have no problem. I can't say the same thing for Garet, but maybe he will if you knock him on the head a few times."_

_The two women talked and laughed as they continued walking along the white-blanketed plains. Suddenly Feizhi went wide-eyed, a strangely blank but shocked look coming over her face. Mia noticed that she had also stopped walking and looked up at her, slightly frightened._

"_F-Feizhi? What's wrong?"_

"_Oh no! Mia, someone is in danger! We must go quickly if we are to help them! Hurry, follow me!"_

_Feizhi sprinted off, leaving a confused Mia to run after her. She could only hope that whoever needed their help was not far away._

_Before long, the sight of blood, weapons, and misplaced chunks of earth lay before her in the snow. She gasped to see Feizhi running towards a horde of monsters that were pummeling something on the ground. She readied her staff as she took off towards the monsters._

_Feizhi was much more capable of fighting than Mia. Being a prominent student of Chi, she did not need weapons to fight effectively. Mia watched as her companion knocked several rat warriors and vermin away from their victim with one strong kick. The creatures, realizing they had a new enemy, turned and sprang at her. Even her lightning-quick punches, chops, and kicks could not stop all of them, and she became slightly overwhelmed. Mia called upon her powers and sent a few icicles flying into a group of rats that were preparing to pounce again. Some of the creatures took notice of her and steered away from Feizhi, who seemed to be doing alright now. A punch ant ran up to her and took a swing, only to be blocked by her staff; however, Mia had not expected such a powerful punch, and the weapon fell out of her grip. Realizing she had no choice, she quickly swung the mace hanging by her side and struck the monster across the head. It cried and flew far away, disintegrating before it hit the ground. She detested using such a devastating weapon on smaller creatures, but it seemed that the monsters had gotten stronger as of late. Making sure to keep a tight grip on her mace, Mia defensively fought off the group that came at her._

_It was only a few minutes before the surviving creatures realized they were outmatched. They howled at the two women before scurrying off to the forest from where they had supposedly appeared. Panting, Mia picked up her staff and swiftly went to check on Feizhi. Feizhi seemed to be completely unfazed for someone who had just fought off a horde of monsters with only her hands. She nodded towards Mia to show her that she was alright. Mia nodded back and began to focus her healing powers to help the young man lying in the snow. From where she was, she couldn't tell who it was, but she could see that he was fatally wounded. She gasped as she approached him, and a loud sob escaped her throat._

"_I-Isaac?! What's he doing out here?!"_

"_This man is Isaac?!"_

_Mia couldn't answer Feizhi. She cried and choked as she desperately tried to heal his broken form. She had never seen him in such bad condition; even during their adventure he had never been injured so badly._

"_Please be alive, Isaac."_

_His chest was rising and falling at uneven intervals. Sometimes it would stop completely, and Mia couldn't help but cry out when it seemed that he wouldn't breathe again. His heart rate matched the unevenness of his breathing, and it seemed as though he wouldn't make it._

"_Mia, I have found his belongings! There seem to be some special stones of sorts in here!"_

_At first, the thought didn't click with Mia. All she wanted to do was make sure that he was safe, so what difference did it make if he had some odd things in his bag? Then she realized that he may have the teleport lapis with him. They were too far from any town to try carrying him, and he would surely die before they could make it. Running over to Feizhi, she snatched the bag away and quickly rummaged through it._

"_Thank Mercury! Come here quickly, Feizhi!" cried Mia, dragging Feizhi over to Isaac's mutilated figure._

_She retrieved the teleport lapis from Isaac's bag and concentrated her mind. She had never used its power before and was slightly afraid that something might go wrong. However, Isaac's life was on the line, so she had to try._

"_Feizhi, take my hand and Isaac's hand! There's no time to explain!"_

_Feizhi complied and took both of their hands in her own. Mia concentrated as hard as she could, willing herself to be transported to Bilibin sanctum. She suddenly felt as light as air, and before she knew it they were right outside the doors of the sanctum._

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Wow, was I really hurt that badly?" asked Isaac, slightly remembering the incident.

Mia nodded, biting her lip to stop herself from crying. He could tell that recalling that day was painful for her, and he felt sorry that he had made her remember.

"How long ago did all of this happen?"

"Isaac," Feizhi began, pausing while she contemplated how to tell him, "you… you have been here for almost two weeks…"

"What?! Two weeks?!" How could he have been here for two whole weeks? How did he manage to get into a coma from a few monsters?

"Isaac, what were you doing out there?!" Mia suddenly cried out. It seemed that she was upset even thinking of the incident, but she had to know the reason for why he was there. "You almost died, and you were alone! Do you even know how far from New Vale you were?!"

He hated seeing Mia cry, but his memory was still failing him.

"Isaac, when we found you, you were surrounded by weapons and there was blood everywhere!" said Feizhi, trying to help him remember. "The strangest thing was that there was a creature with no hands trying to jump on you."

Isaac felt a surge of memories come rushing to his head when Feizhi mentioned the specific punch ant that had attacked him. The ambush, the fight to his semi-death, his journey from New Vale, his conversation with Garet, Jenna…

Suddenly he began to cry, and both women took notice of this right away. Mia moved in to hold him tightly as they both wept.

"I'm so sorry, Mia. I shouldn't have left home, but I remember everything now and I know why I did. It was a stupid impulsive decision, and I hadn't even remembered that you were coming to visit. I was too lost in my own world at the time."

"But what happened? What made you want to leave home so badly?"

Isaac went on to explain all that had transpired. He was surprised to learn that in a single night's journey, he had somehow managed to cover a distance that would normally take someone three days to do so.

"Isaac," Mia said quietly, "I'm… I'm so sorry about Jenna. You two were so in love the last time I saw you. You didn't even mention anything about it in your last letter."

"Forgive me for interrupting," Feizhi said before Isaac could respond to Mia, "but I am a bit confused with one detail of your story."

"Which part, Feizhi?" he asked.

"Well, you say that Garet came to check on you, but then you suddenly felt the need to leave your home. If you were feeling better, why would you wish to go off on your own?"

Isaac cringed a bit. He had purposely left that part of the story out so not to remind himself of the greater deal of pain he felt. Mia looked from Feizhi to him, also curious as to why he left.

"I… I just needed something different," he lied.

"Isaac," Mia soothed him, "we just want to get the story straight. If it'll help us to help you, then we need to know all that we can. Did Garet say something?"

He didn't know how to keep up his lie. Isaac was never good at lying, so trying to continue with his already pathetic attempt would only frustrate his companions. Sighing, he gave in, "I guess I should tell you that something else happened too. I wish it weren't true, but this is the real reason I left New Vale…"

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"_Well, after I told you consider Jenna's feelings I left to go find her," said Garet nervously._

"_Yeah, I know, so what happened?" Isaac was getting a bit impatient with the Mars adept. It seemed like Garet was stalling forever, and he just wanted to know how Jenna was doing._

_Garet shuffled away from Isaac a little bit before continuing. "Look, man, I know I already told you that it's kinda weird, but please don't get mad at me."_

"_Garet, I'm getting mad at you right now because you aren't telling me. All I asked was how she is, and you're giving me all these stupid answers."_

"_Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Garet composed himself before restarting his story again. "So I went to the bakery because I thought she might be working. The baker said she wasn't scheduled to work for a few days, so I figured she'd be at home. When I got to her house, she answered the door for me. Clearly she'd been crying because her eyes were all puffy and she didn't look like she got any sleep. Kinda looked the same way you did when I saw you."_

"_So she _was _upset then."_

"_Yeah, but I'm not done yet. Anyways, so I thought maybe she didn't want to see anyone, but she still tried to smile and invited me in. She said her parents were away for the weekend, so it was just her at home. I felt bad that she had no one to console her, so I told her that I could stay with her until her parents came back."_

"_That's a weird thing to say, Garet. I thought you told me you were gonna lay off her for a while."_

"_I didn't mean it like that, okay? I just figured that if she needed some company she obviously wasn't gonna get it from you, so I offered to stay. Just as friends, honest! She told me she'd like that and then gave me a hug. I figured it was just a friendly gesture, so I hugged her back. The only difference was that usually she hugs me around the middle because I'm so much taller than her, but this time she hugged me around the neck."_

"_What difference does it make how she hugs you?"_

_Garet stopped for a moment, unsure of how to tell Isaac the next part. Isaac sensed this and started to feel uncomfortable. Why was Garet acting so weird? Garet's never been the type to get awkward about anything, so why would he start now? It was starting to make him angry, so he unwillingly sounded like he was when he spoke again._

"_Garet, what the hell happened at Jenna's?"_

_Garet winced a little, but forced himself to keep going with the story. "Isaac, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for any of this to happen," he said weakly._

"_What happened?" Isaac commanded angrily, a deep pause between each word._

"_Well she hugged me in a different way, so I just hugged her back, but around the waist. Before I knew it, she pulled me down into a kiss… I didn't know what to do at first! My first instinct was to push her away, but I've wanted to kiss her forever, man! It was selfish and stupid, but I couldn't help it! I found myself kissing her back before we finally pulled apart. She said that she ended up leaving you for me! I had no idea she was into me! It made me feel sick to think that I was indirectly the reason you broke up! I told her that I couldn't hurt you like that, but she got all upset. I was so torn that I just hugged her again. I didn't know that every time I hugged her it was gonna end in us kissing again! I'm so sorry, man, but now you know why I was saying that she was kinda upset. I didn't know how to-"_

_Garet was cut off by a powerful fist hitting his face. He grunted, holding his bleeding nose and looking at Isaac. He had to have known that was coming._

"_What the fuck, Garet?! You're supposed to be my friend; my _best_ friend! How could you do this?! You _knew_ that we just broke up yesterday, but you still kissed her?! You could've stopped her, but you were too selfish to even stop and think for a second! What, did you cop a feel, too? You know, feel her up and get a little frisky?! What else aren't you telling me?!"_

"_Isaac, stop! It didn't go past kissing, I-"_

"_Shut up, you piece of shit! It's been one day! One fucking day that we've been broken up, and you thought it would be alright to just swoop in and get with her?! You've got a lot of nerve! What kind of friend are you?! I should fucking beat the shit out of you right now!"_

"_You should, I deserve it."_

"_Oh now you're remorseful, eh? Everything's all love and sunshine until you have to face reality! Well sometimes reality sucks, doesn't it?! You know what; you can have that bitch for all I care! You'd go perfectly together: the asshole couple that fucks up everyone's lives. First victim? Their best friend! I hope you got what you wanted, because I don't wanna see your face again!"_

"_Isaac, please, I didn't mean for it to go so far, I just-"_

_Again, Garet was cut off but this time it was to a kick in his stomach. Isaac felt no remorse in beating up his best friend right now. Garet had betrayed his trust, and was getting what he deserved. Garet coughed, the force of the blow winding him, but he did not fight back. It seemed obvious that he knew this was coming, and he decided that there would be no sense in hurting his friend any more. Isaac, blinded by his rage and infuriation, grabbed the Mars adept by his jacket and hurled him onto the icy pond. The weight of Garet crashing down on the surface was enough to break it, and Garet fell through. He scrambled to stand up and shivered as he felt a snowball hit his face._

"_**We were supposed to be brothers!"**__ shouted Isaac, tears now falling from his face. __**"How could you betray me like this?!" **__He knew the blame should have been more on Jenna, but in the moment he was blind to his infuriation and grief. Before waiting for an answer, Isaac took off for his house, the earth trembling beneath his feet. He thought he heard Garet give a final apology, but that was the last he would hear from his friend for the rest of the night._

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Mia held him tighter as they both silently wept; even Feizhi had a single tear rolling down her cheek. They stayed like that for some time before the silence was finally broken.

"Isaac, you have my condolences," said Feizhi. "To be betrayed like that is something I would wish upon no one. He was your best friend, too."

"I can't believe Garet would do something like that. He wasn't the smartest person, but he was always thoughtful," Mia said shakily.

"I was too hard on him," Isaac responded flatly. "It wasn't his fault; _she_ made the move on him."

"Yes, but he did not stop her," Feizhi added.

"But that didn't warrant me breaking his nose, kicking him on the ground, and throwing him in the pond. I had every right to yell at him, but what I did was uncalled for."

"Isaac, you mustn't keep blaming yourself," said Mia, rubbing his back. "You weren't the cause of all these things. Bad things happen, and sometimes you can't do anything about them."

"I suppose…" He didn't know what to say now. The first thing that came to his mind made him feel slightly guilty. "Mia, I… I can't go back there. I made sure to get myself away from there. I'm not stopping you from visiting, but I won't go with you if you still want to. I'm sorry, it's selfish of me but you must understand."

He felt her nod on his shoulder. "Of course I understand, Isaac. Truthfully," she paused and loosened her grip on him, "I was coming to see you more than the others. While I do miss them quite a bit, I was mostly visiting so that I could see you again."

He blushed pretty intensely at her comment. _She was coming all this way for me?_ They pulled away a bit to look into each others' eyes. She was blushing as well, but Isaac thought she looked adorable when she was acting bashful like this. He even forgot about his troubles with Jenna for a moment.

Feizhi shifted uncomfortably, feeling a bit like a third wheel. "I… I believe Lord McCoy wanted to see me. I shall come back later."

The two turned deeper shades of red upon hearing that, but lightly said goodbye to the Jupiter adept as she left the sanctum. When the doors closed, Isaac spoke again.

"What will you do now, Mia? I mean, if you were mainly coming to see me then what happens now?"

"I… I hadn't really thought about it. I was going to wait until you were feeling strong enough to walk before deciding." She paused for a moment before whispering, "Come back to Imil with me."

He noticed her giving him a bashful smile. _Sol, she's cute. I wish I could, but I don't know if I should. I'm hurting badly, emotionally, and I wouldn't want to affect her with my negativity._ He sighed, torn between wanting to go and not wanting to trouble Mia.

"Mia, I... I want to say that I will, but I don't know what the future entails right now. I would hate to end up depressing you if I agreed to come. I think I just need time to think about it. I'm sorry."

"I understand," she said, dropping her gaze to hide her disappointment. "It was a premature question; I should've waited until you were ready."

"Mia… It's alright; I do hope that we'll get to spend lots of time together."

She looked back up at him and smiled sweetly. He couldn't help but smile back at her, the warm stirring feeling in his chest returning. Unexpectedly, Mia reached her hand up to his cheek and lightly caressed it. He felt a bit odd, but was comforted at the same time.

"You seem healthy enough now," she said, "Would you like to go for a walk?"

"I'll try," he said as Mia handed him the walking staff. Carefully sliding off the bed, he leaned his weight on it. Mia also helped to support him so that he would not have to rely solely on the staff.

"By the way," he added, trying to sound natural, "did you happen to touch my cheek yesterday night? You know, in _any_ sort of way?"

She tried to hide her embarrassment, but couldn't conceal her blush. Instead, she giggled in response. "None of that right now, grandpa," she said, noting the way that he was leaning on the staff and using her for support. They both laughed as they exited the sanctum.

Mia had been right about Bilibin being larger. Isaac had never seen such growth in a town; it was practically the size of three Tolbis put together! She took him to a nearby park where the snow beautifully lined the edges of pine trees. A group of children were skating around on the frozen pond; it must have been quite a thick layer. Isaac was glad the path was cleared of snow, for it was much easier to walk on solid ground. They stopped for a while to help some outgoing kids build a snowman. Mia was much better at building it than Isaac, albeit she had lived in snowy climates all her life. They kept going until they came to a bench overlooking the city. Mia looked out at the view, but Isaac turned his gaze towards her.

"Mia," he said.

"Mm?"

"Thank you… for taking care of me… and for bringing me to this beautiful place. You always know how to make me feel better, no matter the situation."

"You're welcome, Isaac. It's funny that I've always been able to cheer you up, even when we first met. After going through Mercury lighthouse, you told me all of your feelings for Jenna and how you would do anything to save her, remember? I don't even remember saying much at all, but you seemed so relieved after I listened to you. Seeing that I could make a difference for someone like you, I knew I made the right decision to join your group."

"Mia, I-" he stopped himself. _I can't say that, at least, not now anyway. I don't wanna make her feel uncomfortable. She really is wonderful, though._ "Thanks for being here for me."

She placed her hand on his and smiled warmly at him. He was a bit tense when she reached for his hand, thoughts of home still clouding his mind, but allowed her to keep it there. "I'll always be here for you, Isaac; whenever you need a friend."

He smiled and felt his heart melt at her words. The two of them looked out to the city, hands touching as night fell over the twinkling lights of Bilibin.

* * *

I know it's my own work and all, but aaaah the fluff, I can't even handle how good it makes me feel :). Not trying to praise myself or anything, but I think this is my favourite chapter so far. I'm kind of a softie so even small moments of fluff and mush and whatever else you wanna call it are my cup of tea… except I don't like tea, but you get the idea.

I had some trouble balancing Isaac's angst with his comfort around Mia, but let it be known that he is still supposed to be depressed about everything; Mia just knows how to make him feel good ;).

As always, R&R and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	9. Warmth

Hey, guys! Sorry about any delays on the last few chapters. I hit a small writer's block because I didn't know how to go off that last chapter and all that my plot outline says is 'Run into Mia. Build relations'… not the best planning I've ever done, so, again, I apologize.

That being said, I did manage to come up with _something_, albeit not my best work. I think it's appropriate because it's got some Christmas stuff in it, except it isn't Christmas because that would imply that Weyard is Christian; they believe in Sol and Luna but I didn't want to make Solmas or Lunamas or something like that, so instead it's the Luna Celebration. Regardless, I can always edit it later on, but for now what you see is what you get :P.

Thanks, as always, to **AnriMia24 **and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing!  
**AnriMia24: **I appreciate your honesty and you can be rest assured that I cannot foresee any reasonable explanation to have any more swearing on that level in the future! :)  
**Mr0cheese: **Yes, you'll be happy to know that the mudshipping is going to start taking off. Good on you for guessing correctly about Garet and Jenna :P. Also, I'm glad you liked my inclusion of Feizhi; I'm not great at OCs and I figured that she doesn't get much attention in-game or in the fanfic world, so she seemed the perfect character to use. However, her time in this story is pretty short-lived since she's only a minor character.

Disclaimer: blah blah blah

* * *

Isaac spent about a month and a half recovering in Bilibin. Always by his side to help him through his recovery was Mia. Though it was only a short time, Isaac was becoming increasingly fond of the Mercury adept in ways he had never thought about before. He wasn't about to say he liked her more than a friend, but he couldn't deny that he was slightly infatuated with her. She was so loving and kind, and he often felt his troubles disappear when she spoke to him. Still, his experiences with Garet and Jenna hung heavily on his mind, and Isaac was unable to stop showing signs of his depression.

"Are you ready?" asked Mia.

"Yeah, one sec. I've just gotta get my scarf," Isaac called back. Since he had started walking without another person's aid, Mia had taken it upon herself to rent a small house for the three adepts to share. Feizhi left some time ago after catching up with Isaac and telling them that she must have predicted his near-death experience. Isaac and Mia initially felt a bit strange living together without her there as well, but figured that it couldn't be helped. Besides, they would only be there until Isaac was strong enough to decide where he was going next.

"Where are we going again, Mia?"

"You'll see in a bit!" she said, a tinge of excitement lacing her voice. Mia had said that there was some sort of special winter traditions that Bilibin, Imil, and Kolima took part in. The only tradition he knew of was the winter parties back home, but those weren't exactly what he'd call special. Ready to go out into the snowy night, Isaac followed Mia out the door.

A light snow was falling all around but the full moon could still be seen behind a break in the clouds above. They walked for some time before Isaac realized that she was taking him to the park they frequented. _Why is she taking me here? We come here all the time._ They sat down at the bench overlooking the city.

"So," he said after a few moments, "what are we doing here?"

"You're so impatient sometimes!" she giggled back to him. "Just hang on a minute."

He scrunched his face at her before turning back towards the city. It wasn't long before something caught his eye. The plain lights that twinkled in the city suddenly changed into the many different colours of the spectrum. Isaac jumped from his seat, thinking that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Rubbing at them and leaning over the ledge he watched as more and more coloured lights filled the city until it was aglow as a rainbow. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"Mia! What is all this?!"

She chuckled and spun him around. He hadn't even noticed, but the trees behind him had lit up with just as many colours as the city. He watched as people came around holding candles surrounded by coloured glass. They would stick them pretty much anywhere they wanted and just walk away. A few tall men were hanging a shimmery vine of some sort across the branches of trees. Isaac couldn't quite believe what he was seeing; his eyes glowed with the different lights.

"What do you think?" she asked, beaming at him.

"I-I don't really know what to say. It's beautiful, but what is this?" he asked, still in awe of his surroundings.

She giggled before pulling out a couple candles of her own from a pouch she had underneath her robe. Handing him one, she pulled out a blue glass cover which she also handed to him. "I'm not really sure, but the people of these three towns have been doing this for quite some time. We decorate the town on a specific night with colourful things and we exchange presents later on. It's just something we've always done. It's called the Luna Celebration. Here," she handed him a match, "put your candle somewhere. I like putting mine somewhere where everyone will see it."

He lit his candle and looked around to see where he could make his stand out. It was difficult to find a place where someone had not already put theirs. Before long, he spotted an angel statue with its arms outstretched. Thinking it was odd that no one had already thought of it, he hastily walked over and put his candle on one of the angel's open palms. Smiling to himself, he turned to Mia who was holding her own golden candle. She smiled and placed hers beside his on the other palm of the angel. He watched as her face turned a deep crimson.

"Mia, why are you blushing? Is something the matter?"

Still smiling, she shook her head before gesturing to a plaque by the angel's feet. Isaac stooped over to read it before he realized why this spot had yet to be taken, and blushed just as profusely as her.

_Venus, Goddess of Love  
__If thou so desires, an offering for one's true love shall be placed upon the hands of this angel.  
__If Venus respondeth, thy love shall reign stronger and truer than all others._

He didn't even realize at first, but he had placed a blue candle and Mia a gold one: the colours of each other's element. He was about to take it down out of embarrassment, but a gentle hand stopped his from reaching for it.

"It's fine, Isaac," Mia said softly, "no one knows they're ours anyways."

"I-I suppose…" he stammered. His chest stirred and he couldn't stop his feelings of embarrassment. However, Mia seemed to be at ease now.

She giggled again, "I just didn't know you felt so strongly for me." He laughed a bit, but felt butterflies in his gut. Why was he feeling so nervous all of a sudden?

"Come on," she said, "if you think this is pretty, wait until you see the town." She took him by the hand and led him swiftly out of the park. Even the simple gesture of grabbing his hand made his legs feel like jelly.

Isaac stood in awe when they reached the market street. Shiny strings and ropes dangled across buildings, windows were colourfully painted upon, and, overall, the entire scene was completely new to him. The city glowed with fluorescent colours and it made the falling snow look like confetti. He was surprised to see the vendors were still open. Up and down the streets, people were going about shopping and buying all sorts of things. He wondered why everyone was out buying things on a night like this.

"What's going on here, Mia?"

"It's the winter market! Everyone is buying gifts for their loved ones to exchange in a couple weeks. Usually the prices are cheapest around now because it's the beginning of the season, but they'll shoot way up for all those last-minute buyers."

"Wow, so what do people usually buy for each other?"

"Anything they think the recipient will like. It's fun to see what people will get you. You never know until you open up the box."

Isaac turned his gaze from the beautiful lights to Mia. He had never seen her so happy before. He figured that she must have really missed all of this when she was helping rebuild New Vale. Feeling slightly guilty, he looked away from her and the two of them began to pace down the busy market street.

"Isaac," said Mia after a while.

"Yeah, Mia?"

"We should buy presents for all our friends! I know most of them won't quite understand the occasion, but everyone likes getting gifts!"

He thought about it for a moment. Was he really in the mood to get something for Garet and Jenna? He'd feel bad if he bought everyone else something, but didn't really want to get something for them. In his mind, they didn't deserve a gift from him after what they'd put him through._ Maybe I'll get them coal; they're Mars adepts, they should like it._ _I should probably get something for my parents, at least. It's not weird if I buy them something but not the other two._

"Yeah, but maybe you should pick out Garet and Jenna's presents… You understand, right?"

Unexpectedly, Mia turned and gave him a hug. "Of course I do, Isaac. You should stop worrying about them so much and have a bit of fun tonight. I'll meet you back here in an hour, okay?" He nodded and watched as she walked up to a clothing stand.

Isaac took his time walking around the different stands. He had already bought a tunic for Ivan, a few shakers of lucky pepper for Piers, a teapot for Felix and Sheba, a pair of blacksmith gloves for his father, and a picture frame for his mother which he would stick a picture in later. He really wanted to get something for Mia as well, but couldn't find anything that he thought might suit her. It had to be really special, considering all she'd done for him. Unfortunately, none of the jewelry here seemed to do her justice. He sighed, realizing it had already been an hour. He headed back to find Mia holding a bundle of boxes in her arms.

"Looks like you've been busy," he chuckled. "Need a hand?"

"That's alright, I've got them."

They started for their temporary house, carefully weaving between other people to avoid dropping any of their new gifts. When they got in, Mia quickly lit the fireplace and gestured for Isaac to come take a seat beside her on the couch. He complied and walked over, putting the gifts down at his feet. He counted how many boxes she had in front of her: one, two, three… nine. _Wow, that's a lot more than my measly five. Who could she have bought them for? Ivan, Sheba, Piers, Felix, Jenna, Garet… uh, who else… oh! Probably one each for Megan and Justin._ He counted his fingers. That was eight people; who could the last one be for? Mentally smacking himself, he realized who he'd forgotten. The last one was probably for him! Now he felt anxious to get her something because he hadn't yet, but what could he possibly buy that would suit her?

Meanwhile, Mia had gotten up to boil a kettle to make tea or honey water. She was humming to herself, and Isaac couldn't help thinking about how pretty she had looked in the colourful glow of the city and now by the fireplace. His cheeks grew hot and he desperately tried to think of something else before she noticed him blushing and grinning like an idiot.

In his desperation, though, he brought on memories of Jenna. His face dropped at the thought of her and it didn't help when Mia sat back down beside him. He thought of the day she broke up with him. They sat at a fire much like this one at Garet's house. Back then she had seemed so warm and welcoming to him, but it had been part of her ruse. He couldn't let go of that: she pretended for him. It didn't really seem like it was for him anymore. Maybe he would've understood if she'd left him when she was mad at him. He didn't like to think that she wanted to break up with him at all, but maybe it would have been less painful if she'd done it sometime earlier. That way he wouldn't have this feeling of sadness that he'd made her pretend or that she'd fallen for someone else. Why did she have to pretend for him? Why didn't she just leave him when she knew she didn't feel for him anymore? What did Garet have that he didn't? That was a stupid question he thought. Garet had Jenna, and that was all that mattered now.

"Isaac," said Mia, resting her hand on his, "you need to stop thinking about them. It hurts, I know, but it'll only hurt you more if you don't let go. She's gone."

By now he'd grown used to her touching his hand. She seemed to use it as a comforting mechanism for when he was upset and she could tell just by looking at him when that was. "I know, and I can't thank you enough for all you've done for me, Mia. In my heart, I wish I could do this kind of thing with Jenna; hang out and experience new things. I suppose that's what Garet's there for now. I'm truly grateful that I could experience this with you, though. I'm glad that you're here to show me the world. It's funny how I offered you that same thing three years ago, but in a completely different way. You truly are my best friend, Mia; more than Garet ever could have been."

She blushed and smiled, looking away from him. For some reason, he thought her smile looked slightly disappointed. Why would she be disappointed? Did he say something wrong? He had just said that she was a better friend than someone he considered his brother.

"Mia? What's the matter? Was it something I said?"

"No, it's nothing, Isaac. I'm… I'm glad I've been able to help you so much. I don't think I'm nearly as good as you make me out to be. I'm happy for the time we've shared together."

_The time we've shared together… That must be it! She's still wondering about if I'll come back to Imil with her. I should've known. Now that I'm healthy again she's afraid that we'll have to part ways. I'm still a little unsure, though… I still can't go back to New Vale… Mia's been the only one who could make me feel like I still have meaning; like I still have a reason to keep going. It's not like I don't want to go with her, anyway. It's decided; I will go to Imil with her. I hope I don't seem cheap if I say that's my gift to her. It's kind of like a gift to myself too._

"I've been happy about our time together too, Mia." He quickly changed the topic, trying to avoid telling her what he was planning, "I think we should stay here for the gift exchange. I know that we were planning to move on once I was finished recovering, but this way we can mail these packages away to the others and exchange our own in person. Whatd'ya say, Mia?"

She thought about it for a second before responding to him. "Well, I was planning to do it with Megan and Justin, but I don't mind staying here with you." She smiled and went to remove the whistling kettle from the fireplace. Pouring each of them a cup of tea, she came back and leaned her head on his shoulder. Isaac wasn't about to push her off, but he wasn't quite sure how to respond to the gesture. Before, when it had been Jenna he would have put his arm around her. In this case he didn't know since he wasn't _with_ Mia. The thought alone made his chest stir and cheeks redden. Quickly, he took a sip of tea to make it seem like the hot drink had made his cheeks turn red. She didn't seem to mind that he wasn't doing anything, so he figured he'd just let her lean on him. It wasn't as if he _didn't_ like it.

They sat there talking about many things for some time before Mia started to yawn. It was pretty late out, but they didn't have much to do tomorrow anyways; they were on somewhat of a vacation. He continued talking until Mia's responses started to become mumbled and incomprehensible. After a moment she stopped responding altogether, and he looked to see her sleeping on his shoulder. Smiling, he put his mug on the small table beside him and picked her up. Carefully carrying her to her room, he placed her down on the bed. _Does she sleep in her robes or should I take them off?_ An extremely odd thought for him, and he almost fainted from how much blood rushed to his head. Why he even thought of that he would never know. Gently laying the blanket over her sleeping figure, he started for the door before turning back to look at her. Another thought crossed his mind. She would never know, and, after all, she had been there for him after all this time. Silently, he approached her and looked down at her peaceful face. It was now or never. Stealthily, he lowered his face and gave her a quick peck on the forehead. He tiptoed over to the door before an odd grumble came from behind him.

"…Now you… can't make fun… for when I… your cheek…"

Isaac felt his heart speed up, but simply smiled and closed the door without looking back. _Great,_ he thought, _I guess now we're even. She kissed me in my sleep, I kissed her in hers._ He walked back down the stairs to put their cups in the sink. A few of his and Mia's djinn were over by the fireplace, hopping around and speaking mentally to each other. Sometimes Isaac liked to watch the little games that they played with each other, so he decided to sit on the couch and watch them for a while before going to bed.

However, when he approached them, they all looked up at him quickly before murmuring something amongst themselves. Djinn didn't have faces per se, so he couldn't tell exactly what they were thinking from facial expressions. A few of them hopped up beside him before speaking to him directly.

"_Master Isaac likes Miss Mia!" _chanted one of Mia's female djinn.

"_Mist!" _shot Flint's superior voice, "_That's no way to speak to one of the Masters! My apologies, Master Isaac."_

Isaac smiled at Flint, feeling undeterred by the remarks made by the Mercury djinni. "Don't worry about it, Flint. And I told you before, you don't have to act so formally around me or call me Master. We're friends! I'd say that goes for all of you about any of us 'Masters'."

"_Sorry Mas… I mean Isaac. Force of habit."_

"_Anyway," _added Quartz, _"is it true, Isaac? Do you really like Miss Mia?"_

"_Luna help us…" _muttered one of the male Mercury djinn.

"_Don't act like that, Dew," _squeaked Vine. _"You were just as curious as us a few minutes ago."_

"_Yeah, but I have dignity! I'm not about to get up in Isaac's face and demand him tell me if he has feelings for my Lady."_

Isaac snickered. Djinn were always bickering with each other, but they meant well. There were just so many of them that it would've been impossible for all of them to get along, anyway. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to constantly hang around with seventy-one of your friends. There would definitely be some friction.

"_You guys should quit bugging him," _sounded a strangely deep djinni's voice. Two brief gold flashes and a faint purple flash emitted in front of the fireplace before Echo, Flower, and Blitz floated up to their companions on the couch.

"_Shouldn't you guys be with Felix and Sheba?" _asked Flint.

"_We don't need to be with them all the time," _said Flower; she had a strangely mature woman's voice, _"only when they call upon us."_

"_Besides," _added Blitz, a mischievous sounding male, _"you mud makers were so loud we could hear you all the way from Lalivero!"_

"_Hey! We're trying to ask Isaac something over here!" _shouted Mist and Quartz in unison.

Isaac was having a tough time stifling his laughter, but he didn't want to wake Mia. Attempting to compose himself, he answered the djinn that stared at him with their beady eyes, "I dunno, I guess a little. It's not a huge thing, though, and I don't think she's into me anyways."

Mist and Quartz glanced at each other before looking back at Isaac. Quartz shot a small pebble at his face and Mist pinched his arm with her tail-claw. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?!"

"_You rock head! Do you really think Miss Mia doesn't feel anything for you?!"_

"_Mist! You can't talk to him that way! He may not want us to call him Master, but he still is one!" _shot Flint. Echo nodded in agreement.

"_Pfft big deal, he isn't _my _Master! My Lady Mia is the only Master I have, and we call her Miss Mia because she asked us to stop calling her Lady!"_

"_Isaac," _said Quartz, "_it's probably because you don't have a woman's intuition, but Mist and I, and probably Flower, can see that there's something more going on than you're probably aware of."_

Isaac stopped for a moment. Was he really so dim that he couldn't see what was right in front of him? Had Mia really fallen for him? Had _he _really fallen for her as hard as they were saying? He knew that he felt something for her, but he didn't think of it as anything more than a little crush at most. Still, he had to agree that there were some signs of her affection towards him. "I… I don't kn-"

"_Listen up, bub!" _called Mist, _"That 'Oh, Mia, you're my best friend' line was probably the stupidest thing you could've said to her! What's worse is that Blitz just read your mind and confirmed for me that you didn't even realize that that's why she was disappointed! No duh she wants you to go to Imil with her, but not 'cause you're her 'best friend'!"_

"_All right, that's enough from you for tonight," _said Dew, who latched onto Mist's tail with his own. _"Good night, everyone," _he said before disappearing with the both of them.

"_We'll fill her in before we head back to Lalivero," _said Blitz.

"_I think you guys are being too hard on poor Isaac," _voiced Flower. _"I mean, you should've seen Felix! Sol, if you thought Isaac was oblivious then you probably would've thought Felix was a statue! The man had no idea that Sheba was into him even after she said 'I really wish you didn't have to go back home, Felix. I hoped that maybe you could live here in Lalivero with me'. What kind of idiot doesn't get a clue after a girl asks you to live with her?! I was about to grow flowers where his hair should be!"_

Echo and Blitz chuckled at the memories of the oblivious Felix. Quartz and Vine hopped up to the other female Venus djinni and listened to the rest of her rant while Flint hopped onto Isaac's lap.

"_You know, Isaac, I don't usually think much about this whole love thing, but I think Miss Mia would be good for you. She seems much more reasonable than Miss Jenna, and on a personal note I like her djinn better. Well, except for Mist. I'd trade Mist for Tinder any day. Of course, I also think Corona is very friendly. Mars djinn are typically like Mist, so it's nice when there happens to be two that are much calmer than the rest."_

Isaac stopped Flint from babbling for too long. "Do you really think Mia would be good for me? I'm afraid to hurt her. I figured she'd be good for me in the sense that she helps me forget about Jenna, but I haven't really thought of her in _that_ way very much."

Flint gave what could best be described as a shrug (since Venus djinn don't have shoulders). _"The choice will fall to you in the end, Isaac. It's not my place to tell you what to do, but I can voice my opinion. Most of us, save Mist and I think Sleet, though he wasn't here tonight, believe that you would do well to have someone like her in a closer personal relationship than as your friend."_

"Do… do you really think so? I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"_Isaac,"_ Vine squeaked; she sounded much younger than the other female djinn, "_we aren't rushing you into anything you don't feel comfortable doing. If you're unsure of your feelings for Miss Mia then take some time to sort them out. We just want what's best for you."_

They all hopped to show their support for him. He smiled and patted his own djinn on their heads. "Thanks, guys. I'll definitely need some time to sort out this whole Mia-Jenna thing, but I'm glad you're being supportive towards me. I think I need to sleep on it."

With that the djinn all nodded and hopped off the couch to continue their little games and such. Isaac took his leave of them, heading up the stairs towards his room. As he passed by Mia's, he thought a lot about what they said. _Does she really like me as much as they say? Do I really like her as much as they say? I've been so hung up on Jenna that I guess it was clouding my view of the present._ Isaac let his mind wander as he lay in his bed, trying to sort his thoughts without Jenna distracting him.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Two weeks went by very quickly, and Isaac was awoken one morning by a cheery Mia.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said as she walked in with a tray of breakfast food and tea. "How'd you sleep?"

"Just fine, thanks," he responded as she handed him a cup. He placed his plate on the bedside table.

Mia sat down on his bed. "So, do you know what day it is?"

He grinned. Of course he knew what day it was; Mia had been counting down the days and was practically singing about it yesterday. "Yeah, it's Luna Celebration day or whatever you called it."

She smiled back and wrapped him in a big hug. He blushed a little, as they were both still in their nightclothes. Her silky nightdress was a bit thinner than he was expecting and he wondered if she even realized that it may be awkward. When she released him, though, it seemed she was too distracted by her excitement that she didn't notice his blush. Quickly getting up, she went into her room to get his gift. He couldn't stop his eyes from following her as she walked out of the room. _Damn, she's got a nice body! Funny how I've never even seen Jenna like this. _He shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his mind before Mia returned.

She came in moments later with a medium-sized box. He grinned as she plopped it on his lap. Sitting up, he began to untie the colourful ribbons she'd tied onto it. When he lifted the top off, he reached in and pulled out a large blue trench coat. The right arm had three pieces of armour on it while the left had only a shoulder piece. She must have had the armour attached on because she knew he was right-handed: the right arm would be exposed, hence the additional armour on it. He quickly got out of his bed to try it on. It was a little big, but he was sure he'd grow into it a bit more. Looking at himself in the mirror, he then turned to Mia to give her another hug.

"Thanks, Mia! I love it!"

She looked at him, beaming. "Oh how wonderful! I knew it would suit you! At first I thought about giving it to Garet because it's so big, but it looks too sophisticated for him."

Isaac chuckled a bit before opening the drawer on his bedside table. He'd managed to find something for Mia; however, it wasn't quite as nice as he hoped it would've been. Regardless, he still hadn't told her that he was coming to Imil, so it was like a double present. He pulled out a small box and handed it to her.

"Oh, Isaac," cooed Mia before she even opened the box. She knew it must have been some sort of jewelry for it to be in a box that small.

He smiled warmly towards her. "Open it."

She carefully untied the ribbons and lifted the lid off. Slowly she retrieved the silver locket from its resting place. It was a beautiful chrome colour and she stared at it with a look of pure joy and awe. She clicked the small button on the side to open it up. Strangely, she began to blush, but her expression didn't change. Isaac smacked himself on the head. _Crap, I didn't even bother seeing what the inside of it looked like! I hope it's not too awkward… oh geez, she's blushing._

"Hehe, uh, what's on the inside, Mia? I don't think… I don't think I actually looked…"

Upon hearing those words she fell into a giggle fit and clutched the locket close to her. Now he was completely confused.

"Oh my, I d-didn't know that you _accidentally_ f-fell in love with me, I-Isaac!" she managed to say between her giggles.

He felt his cheeks burn before he grabbed the locket that she was now holding out to him. He clicked it open and found himself ready to die from embarrassment. Inside there were two slots; one side for a small photograph and the other for a heart-shaped jewel of some sort. He collapsed down on the bed beside the still-giggling Mia. He wanted to disappear right then. However, Mia rolled on her side and gave him another tight hug, saying that she loved it even if he hadn't given it to her for what it was meant for. His nerves quelled a bit before he sat her up.

"Oh, Mia, there's something else that goes with the gift."

"Really?" she raised an eyebrow and smirked at him, "Have you got a ring to propose to me with too?"

He blushed again, realizing that he wasn't exactly clear with his wording. "No, no, it's not like that. I have to tell you something… not something like I wanna marry you or anything… not that I wouldn't, but it's not what I want to tell you… not that I wouldn't tell you, er, actually if I wanted I probably wouldn't right now… not to say that I do… I mean you're really great, but marriage… I'm not ready for that commitment… not that we're together anyways… we'd have to be dating first… not that I'm asking you out! Oi…"

She was trying extra hard not to burst out laughing. He felt like a goof for not getting straight to the point so he decided that would be the best thing to do in this case. "Mia, I've decided that I want to come with you to Imil."

She squealed with glee after hearing those words, and did something that Isaac was not expecting or prepared for in any way. She wrapped her arms around him… and pulled him into a kiss. His eyes shot wide open, but he didn't kiss back because he didn't even know that's what she was going to do. It seemed that she realized what she was doing after a moment or two and quickly pulled away, her face as red as a tomato.

"Omigosh I'm so sorry, Isaac! I don't know what came over me! I-I was just so happy you said that and then the next thing I knew I was-"

"Shh, it's alright, Mia. I think now we're pretty even for embarrassment so it's okay. Let's just forget about this." Secretly he was a little upset that he didn't kiss her back. He couldn't quite explain it, and he probably wouldn't ever be able to, but after that kiss Isaac didn't feel upset about Jenna breaking up with him ever again. "So," he said after a moment of awkward silence, "what did you have planned for today? Or were we just gonna hang out here in our pajamas all day?"

She giggled, her face still a bit pink from before, "No, silly. I thought we could go walk around town and the park for a bit and then go ice-skating."

"Ice-skating?" The only time Isaac had gone skating was in some of the frozen rooms on his adventure years ago. He wouldn't exactly call that skating since it was more slipping and falling than anything.

"Don't worry, I'll hold onto you."

They laughed and got ready for the day ahead of them.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

It was the end of an enjoyable day. The two adepts were sitting in their usual spot overlooking the twinkling lights of the city. The colours still amazed Isaac, but he no longer jumped at the change. They each had a paper cup of hot, sweet milk that they had purchased earlier in the day.

"Today was fun," he said.

"I wish every day could be like today," she responded.

"Mm. Well now that I'm strong enough, we can teleport to Imil anytime you want; although I'd suggest sometime tomorrow."

"Actually, I was thinking it might be more fun if we teleport just past Bilibin Cave. That way we can trek back to Imil just like old times."

Mia was always full of surprises and that was one of the things that Isaac most enjoyed about her. He smiled and nodded, "I'd like that. A ten day adventure, just the two of us."

She smiled and put her hand on his as she always did. This time, however, Isaac flipped his over and held hers back. She looked up at him and blushed a bit. He gave her a warm smile before speaking again.

"Thanks for today, Mia, and for everything else you've done for me. I'm so blessed to have met you. It's like I've known you my whole life. I-" he stopped himself. _I still can't say that... No, she won't feel awkward. It's a simple comment and that's all._ He took a breath and continued, "I think you're the most wonderful person I've ever met, and I wish I had met you sooner. I understand why people call you an angel, because you certainly are to me."

She smiled sweetly at him, that sweet smile that he had grown to love so much. Her cheeks stayed a bit pink as they were before, but she was not embarrassed; rather she seemed bashful and graced by his words.

"I-I don't know what to say, Isaac. I wouldn't trade any of my experiences for anything, especially meeting you. You've made me happier than anyone else in my entire life has ever been able to."

He blushed a bit. He couldn't believe that he was the only one who'd ever made her feel so happy, but he wasn't about to ruin the moment. They stared into each others' eyes for while; there would be no distractions this time. Isaac was sure he had feelings for her right in that moment. He wouldn't say that it was love, but it had gone beyond the mild infatuation he'd felt for her before. He decided that now was not the right time to act upon it, but he would find another time, an even better time, to do so.

A moment of peace, he'd been waiting for this for a long time.

* * *

Fluff! To quote Despicable Me: "IT'S SO FLUFFY!"

To quote Beauty and the Beast: "There may be something there that wasn't there before."

Wow these chapters just keep getting longer and longer. At first this was only 3000 something words and somehow that turned into over 6000…

Anyways, it took me a while to start writing this, but I think it turned out alright. It isn't the best chapter I've written, in my opinion, but I don't think it's bad. Let me know what you think!

R&R and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	10. Bonds

Hey, everyone! This one is relatively short compared to the last few chapters. I believe it's only about 4000 words (which isn't all that short, just in comparison to the last two or three it is).

Thanks to **AnriMia24 **and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing!

Anyway, I'll just get right to the story because I have nothing else to say other than check out my soundcloud because I've posted a few songs since the last chapter.

Disclaimer: Same as always

* * *

The brisk morning air bit at Isaac's ears and nose as he trudged through the icy snow beneath him. It wasn't a chill that got to him, however, and he couldn't be happier to have Mia with him. Earlier that morning they had paid the landlord the rental fee for the temporary home and immediately teleported to the other side of Bilibin Cave, each of them anxious to start their mini adventure to Imil.

"Whoa!" cried Mia, slipping on a hidden patch of ice. Isaac was quick to catch her.

"Haha! Mia, you've slipped so many times it's hard to believe you grew up in a constantly snowy town. I haven't even slipped once ye-whoa!" On his last words, Isaac lost his balance and slipped; Mia toppling down on him. "Oof… of course that would happen," he groaned.

"Heehee, why, Isaac, I didn't realize you were such a comfortable seat. I might just have to take a rest here for an hour or five!"

Isaac laughed. Mia was not all that heavy, so he didn't mind her sitting on top of him; however, he wasn't fond of the snow that was slowly soaking his back. He decided to lightly push her off but did so a little too roughly, sending the Mercury adept face first into the snow beside him. He felt a bit guilty but couldn't stop himself from bursting out laughing at the sight of Mia picking herself out of the snow. Unfortunately for him she wasn't upset; rather she had a mischievous smile across her face.

"So that's how you wanna play it, wiseguy," she said, attempting to take on a serious tone. Isaac scrambled to stand up and run away, not quite sure what she was thinking. Before he could take off, though, a huge wave of snow in front of him erupted and came down on his head, burying him underneath. He managed to pop his head out after a few moments to see Mia laughing and heading over towards him.

"Okay, I guess we're even," he chuckled back to her, "even though I didn't bury you in the snow."

She helped dig him out and they once again began walking towards their destination, joking and laughing until nightfall. The wintry sun began setting over the horizon, and Isaac was able to make out a small pinky-sized shadow off in the distance: Mercury Lighthouse. A light blue dot glowed above it, indicating its lit beacon.

"Oh dear," said Mia when they stopped to set up camp. A small campfire next to two stumps was all they had managed to make so far.

"What is it, Mia?"

She rummaged through her bag before looking over at Isaac's things. "You wouldn't happen to have brought a tent with you, did you?"

"No, I probably should've, but I was trying to travel light. Don't you have one?"

"Well, yes, I do have one," she said quietly before blushing a bit, "but that's the thing: I only have the one."

Now Isaac realized the problem. When they had been travelling as a group before, Isaac and Garet had always shared the biggest tent together, and Ivan and Mia had had their own tents, so there was never an issue of sleeping arrangements. While he had taken naps with Jenna on the couch, Isaac had never gone to sleep with her at night, let alone in a bed. The thought of sleeping with Mia, especially since they weren't even together, made him feel embarrassed, nervous, and uncomfortable but at the same time excited, happy, and warm. It was a strange mixture of feelings, and he wasn't really sure how to react.

"…How about we take turns keeping watch? That way we don't have to be in the tent together at the same time," he suggested after a moment.

"Would that work?" she asked. "I mean, we would have to get up multiple times in the night. It doesn't exactly sound ideal."

"I know it's not the greatest solution, but I don't have any other ideas."

"Mm, alright then… but you can't be in there when I'm changing!"

He chuckled, "Oh I thought that that was the only time I was _supposed_ to be in there," he said sarcastically. She nudged him lightly and laughed. She began setting up the tent, but Isaac stopped her. "Don't worry, I've got it. You just focus on keeping the fire going for now. I'll take the first watch tonight. I'm not all that tired, anyways."

She thanked him and went back to the fire and pulled out a pot with which she started to prepare a stew. He smiled as he heard her begin humming a tune to herself; she always did so when she was making something.

When they had finished their food, Mia turned in for the night. It seemed that the journey had exhausted her since they hadn't done much travelling in their lengthy stay in Bilibin. Isaac figured that he wasn't tired because he had slept for two weeks straight. Lazily poking at the fire, he thought back to all the good times he'd had. He and Ivan had been on double watch duty one time because of how many monsters they'd fought in the area. They were constantly jumping at every noise they heard, but would always laugh at the other if they jumped first. Isaac wished that he could relive his adventure for only those moments. While it had been a dangerous mission to save the world, it was the little things that made it one of the best experiences of his life.

The night dragged on, but it hadn't quite reached midnight. He didn't mind staying up late, as he wasn't getting tired, but he did start getting a little bored. He almost wished a small monster might venture too close. He didn't particularly want to kill anything right now, but at least scaring it away would be something to do. Eventually his mind wandered to the topic of Jenna. He felt his face fall to a slight frown, but he wasn't upset; rather, he missed her. It wasn't the loneliness he had felt before; instead he missed her much like he missed Ivan, Sheba, Piers, and Felix. Even after the pain she'd put him through, he was sad to be taken far from one of his best friends. Strangely, he did not seem to miss Garet. Perhaps it was because he was still a bit angry at him, but whatever the reason he only wanted to see Jenna. Huffing, he slumped down and tossed some powdery snow onto the fire. He liked watching it dim the fire slightly before it raged up again.

Finally, the moon passed over the top of his head. He was supposed to wake Mia at midnight, but figured that he would let her sleep a little longer. Quietly poking his head in the tent, he reached forward to shake her. She looked so peaceful, and he felt a little guilty waking her from her slumber. Lightly shaking her, she groggily looked up at him and gave him a sleepy smile.

"Hey," was all she said as she slowly began to sit up. He smiled back and shuffled out of the doorway so she could get out. When she exited the tent, she simply said good night to him and took a seat by the fire. Secretly, he still didn't feel all that tired, but he knew she would feel bad if he had stayed up all night, and she was awake now, regardless. He quietly crawled into the tent and lay down on the blanket she'd been using; it was still warm. Despite not feeling tired, he fell asleep relatively easily.

Isaac awoke the next morning to the light sound of snowflakes brushing the tent. It was a difficult sound to pick up, but it wasn't like there was a lot else to notice. However, something else seemed off and he looked down in bewilderment. Somehow he hadn't even realized, but a certain aqua-haired girl had snuggled herself under his arm and fallen asleep. _She must have gotten tired, but she could've woken me. I guess she felt bad that I'd already had my watch._ He wasn't quite sure what to do. He was afraid to wake her up by moving, but he was slightly uncomfortable holding her like this. It wasn't that he didn't like it (if anything, he was perfectly happy to stay like this), but he wasn't sure if it was right of him to be sleeping with her like this. He had no way of knowing if she'd actually wrapped his arm around her, or if he'd done that in his sleep. He didn't want her to wake up feeling awkward, but then she never really was the type to feel uncomfortable about these types of things. Still, he had to try to loosen his one arm that was beneath her. Luckily, she rolled a bit and he was able to slide his arm out in that moment. Taking a second to compose himself, he quietly got out of the tent.

It seemed Mia's way of keeping monsters away while they both slept was to stick a few sacred feathers around the campsite. There was a few around their tent and one on each of their bags. She'd frozen them to the spot so they wouldn't blow away. Isaac smiled at the ingenuity of her idea. It seemed to have worked, as there were some visible tracks leading towards the campsite that stopped a few feet away from the feathers and went back the other way.

Isaac started a fire and began melting some snow. Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a cook so he just sprinkled a few herbs in the pot to make a minty broth of sorts. Mia came out from the tent when the broth had finished boiling. He pulled out one of the wooden cups from his pack and carefully poured some into it.

"Morning," she said to him, still a bit tired it seemed, "what'd you make?"

He smiled at her and looked back at his concoction. "Uh, I guess you could say it's… tea?"

She laughed lightly, for she knew he wasn't one for making any sort of food. She came and sat beside him, pouring herself a cup. "Hmm, herbal tea; basic, but healthy. It'll help you from getting sick out here."

He smiled and laughed inwardly, wondering how he'd managed to actually make something real without knowing. The minty flavour refreshed him, and he felt ready to take on another day of walking.

"Nice touch with the sacred feathers," he said. "I never would've thought of something like that."

She smiled, but an obvious blush came to her cheeks. He realized that he'd basically just brought up the fact that she'd crawled into bed with him.

"Heh, you know, you could've woken me up. I wouldn't mind; I actually woke you up later than I was supposed to because I wasn't too tired."

"Yes, well, it would've been unfair to make you get up again, especially when we have a full day ahead of us."

He stopped and wondered if he should ask her if she'd snuggled up to him, but couldn't think of a way to ask without potentially embarrassing her. Instead, he pushed it aside and played it off as nothing.

"Thanks for that. I'm glad you're thinking of me even when you're tired, Mia." Another question came to mind, "Hey, how long did you actually stay on watch for?"

She gave him a sheepish smile before taking a sip of her tea, "Hehe, I, uh, I waited until I knew you were asleep before I put out those sacred feathers. You fell asleep pretty quickly for someone who wasn't tired. I guess I was probably only on watch for about half an hour."

He laughed, thinking that he might as well have let her sleep the whole night. "Well, at least you're being honest."

They were both silent for a moment before she spoke again, "Isaac."

"Yeah, Mia?"

She seemed to be a bit uncertain of herself, but continued anyways, "I… I don't mind sleeping at the same time as you. I think it's easier if we do it that way so that we both get enough rest for the days ahead. Besides, your arms kept me warm- I mean your body heat!" her cheeks immediately flushed pink and she looked away from him.

_So she did snuggle herself against me. Well, at least it wasn't me._ He smiled and put his arm over her shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed, Mia. I didn't think anything of it. I was only worried that you would wake up as I was letting go or something."

That didn't seem to help, but he didn't know exactly what to say. Taking his arm off of her, he got up and started to pack away the tent. "We should probably get going."

"Yeah, let's," she said, apparently happy to have the subject changed. Neither of them brought it up again.

Despite Mia's embarrassment, Isaac found himself waking up the same way every day. They always went to bed apart, but somehow they always awoke in a spooning position. Once or twice, when he couldn't fall asleep right away, he would feel her body shuffle towards his. He wasn't sure what had compelled him to do it, but instead of moving away he would put his arms around her. The notion always comforted him and allowed him to fall asleep. She seemed to be less embarrassed now, but still didn't like to bring it up in conversation. Both of them seemed to be happy, however, and only one question lingered in Isaac's mind: what exactly was their relationship now? He wasn't sure if he'd say they were together but, at least in his mind, they definitely weren't open for meeting someone else. He often wondered about it but never brought it up with Mia; after all, it was about her. Regardless, Isaac had never felt happier than feeling her warm, slender body pressed against his every morning.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

They reached Imil exactly on schedule. Isaac grinned at the familiar sight. Imil was slightly bigger than he last remembered, probably because it had become a more important trading city. Mia had told him how towns and cities from all across Weyard were now involved in trade with Imil for the Water of Hermes. She was glad that it hadn't affected the town too much, but there were often many people around the new port by Mercury Lighthouse. Typically, she said that she stayed away from there because there were a lot of shady characters, but they stayed away from Imil for whatever reason.

"Ah, home sweet home," Mia sighed in relief as they approached the sanctum. She eagerly opened the doors and walked in.

"Welcome, weary wanderers. What aid do you seek?" came a boy's voice.

"It's me, Justin! I'm home!" Mia shouted gleefully.

"Oh, Mia! We weren't sure when you'd be coming back! I see you brought a friend with you. Megan, Mia's back!"

"Hey, Justin," said Isaac, "we met once before, so I don't know if you'll remember me; I'm Isaac. Man, you've grown since I last saw you! And your voice dropped, too!"

Justin stared at Isaac for a moment before his face lit up, "Ah, Isaac, I do remember you! I have a hard time forgetting since Mia always talks abou-murf-mmf." A slightly younger girl had come in and slapped a hand over his mouth. Mia giggled and smiled towards her.

"Hi, Mia and Isaac! I'm glad to see you guys again! You can come into the back; I've just got some stew cooking right now." With her hand still on Justin's mouth, the two kids led the way into the back room of the sanctum. Before he could follow them, Isaac was tightly wrapped in an unexpected hug from Mia.

"I'm still so glad you decided to come, Isaac. It may sound selfish of me, but I'm glad you won't be going home anytime soon."

He laughed inwardly, reminded of the story Flower had told him about Sheba and Felix. Isaac knew Mia had feelings for him, and he had been sure of it since the first night she fell asleep in his arms. "I'm glad I'm here too, Mia. I don't think you're selfish; truth be told, I probably would've come here to visit eventually, so it just happened a bit earlier than we were expecting."

She released him from her grip and smiled. Without thinking, he lightly brushed a hair from her face, causing her to blush slightly. Slowly turning around she headed towards the back room, Isaac closely behind.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

When night fell, the two adepts took a walk through the moonlit town. The skies were clear, and the snow glowed off the moonlight. Here and there a few coloured candles remained, but most of the decorations from the Lunar Celebration had already been taken down. Skating towards an island in the middle of the frozen river, Mia led Isaac up some steps to her thinking spot. Isaac chuckled when she said she had a thinking spot of her own. He much preferred hers to his, for it seemed much more private. She said she used to use the cave beneath the frozen waterfall, but stopped going there because she felt too cut off from everything.

They lay beneath a large snow-covered tree and looked at the moon between a gap in the branches. "It's nice out here," said Isaac. "How often do you do this, Mia?"

"Only on clear nights like tonight. I like looking at Luna while I think. It's as if she can answer my questions while I lay here."

"That's pretty deep," he said mostly to himself. "My old thinking spot was more or less just a spot that people didn't go by too often. Even then there was still quite a bit of people that liked to cross the bridge."

"Mm, well while you're in Imil, my thinking spot is your thinking spot, Isaac. I'd be happy to share it with you."

He laughed, "Thanks, Mia, but it isn't like I'm going to be doing a lot without you. After all, I'm the guest in your hometown. We'll probably be together for most of my stay here."

She giggled, "My, my, someone's awfully clingy. And to think we aren't even together."

He loved how playful and bubbly she could be while still remaining the shy, reserved girl he knew from three years ago. "No, I suppose I am being oddly clingy since we aren't together," he paused, contemplating if he should say the next word or not; he decided to anyways, "yet."

Mia didn't say anything, and Isaac was worried that he'd made her feel uncomfortable despite knowing that they both had feelings for each other. He gave a nervous glance at her, but was put at ease when he saw her lips curled up in a gentle smile. She looked almost relieved, as if some weight had been lifted off her. Had she been expecting him to start a relationship? Whatever the reason, he was glad to see her feeling happy so he rolled back onto his backside to stare up at the moon again.

"I… I suppose this means… you're over Jenna then?" asked Mia, an unsure tone in her voice.

He hadn't really thought about it, but he supposed that he was. He had been away from her for nearly two and a half months already, and as of late he hadn't been thinking about her as much. Thoughts of the reddish-brunette-haired girl had been replaced by thoughts of the pretty blue-haired girl beside him.

"Yes, I… I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but I stopped thinking about her some time ago. The first night when I was keeping watch I thought about how I missed her, but it wasn't in the same way that I missed her before. I didn't feel lonely anymore. My feelings for her were like a friend I hadn't seen in a long time, which is what I suppose she is now. It's strange, I'm not even mad at Garet anymore. Even though I thought I'd been too hard on him, I was still a bit pissed off. But now that I look at it, I'm glad they're happy with each other because, well, I'm happy now… happy being here with you, Mia."

He turned his gaze to see Mia smiling back at him; their blue eyes staring deep into the others'. Neither of them spoke, they just lay there smiling at each other. Mia began shuffling herself closer to him and Isaac instinctively put his arm around her. Both shifting their gaze up towards the moon again, he felt her head tilt onto his shoulder. Tilting his onto hers they sat there for quite some time before either of them said anything.

"What do you want to be, Isaac?" asked Mia.

Isaac was a bit taken aback by the question. It wasn't something he often thought about. He always figured that he would figure out his life as it came to him. "I… I'm not really sure. I never really thought about it. What about you, Mia?"

"Hmm, I think I'd like to stay here and train others to be healers. I've been able to help train some of the monks in Bilibin. I love to help people live their lives."

_She's so selfless; I wish I could amount to something like that._ "Gosh, that's quite a plan, Mia. I think it would be the perfect job for you." She was captivating. Everything about her drew him in closer to her. He had honestly never met anyone so caring and lovable.

"Thank you, Isaac. I love doing what I've been doing, and I hope that I can do it until the day I die. I'd still like to know what you want to be. Anything at all."

He stopped and thought for a moment. There wasn't much he had ever truly aspired to become. He had a knack for making weapons, but he never really wanted to become a blacksmith. There was really only one thing he'd ever been sure about. "A father."

"What was that?"

"I'd like to be a father someday. I know it isn't a huge aspiration or powerful life goal that will help hundreds of people, but it's the only thing I've ever been sure I want to be. I'd love to have a family: a wife, maybe one or two kids, nothing huge. Just a peaceful family that lives their lives the way they're meant to. Pretty lame dream, huh."

"No, Isaac," she said, turning her head up to look him in the face, "I think it's sweet. You're right, it isn't a goal that will help hundreds of people, but it will make you happy; and when you're happy with your own life it doesn't matter what others think. When you think about it, your dream is much more admirable than mine. You want to make a woman's life special with your marriage, your children healthy by being a good father, and any other loved ones happy that will support you all the way. Perhaps you will make just as many people happy, but in a different way."

Isaac was having a bit of trouble following Mia's thought process, but the general gist of what she was saying made him feel calmer. Thanking her, he squeezed her closer to his side and rested his head on hers again.

The two of them sat there chatting about many things until late in the night; the light of Luna flowing through a hole in the branches to illuminate the two sweethearts sitting closely under a tree. This feeling was undoubtedly something Isaac had not experienced in a long time: true happiness.

* * *

This one was way more fluffy than the last couple chapters but for whatever reason I didn't like writing it as much. I dunno, I guess I just can't be pleased with all of the things I write, even if they're just as good as the last. Maybe that's the reason: I feel compelled to make a better chapter every time and that isn't always possible especially when I particularly love a previous chapter, but oh well.

I'm sure some of you mudshippers wish I could simply say 'The End' here or say it after they officially get together, but alas this is not the end, as you've already gotten a glimpse at the end from the beginning of the story (ironic, eh?). Anyway, Isaac and Mia will be able to change their facebook relationship statuses soon enough so hang tight until that happens :P.

Thanks for reading! Please review and check out my soundcloud! (Link on my profile)

_-GengaJupite_


	11. Passion

Hey, guys! Hope you all had a great Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or anything else that you might celebrate that I am unaware of. Mine was good as usual, except it was weird not having family over this year. Usually my family hosts the Christmas get together, but for whatever reason it wasn't so this year.

Thanks to **AnriMia24, Mr0cheese, **and **Hanabro **for reviewing! **AnriMia, **I can see where your frustration is coming from, so I'll get something cleared up before you attack Isaac and take away my cookies :P. He and Mia and Jenna's relationship won't be so straightforward as to have Isaac simply leave Mia to go back to Jenna. I don't want to say anymore for the sake of keeping the future a mystery, but hopefully it'll be unexpected (I dunno if it's much of a twist because I already know what happens) :). I think this chapter helps shed a bit of light on that subject, anyway, so stay positive!

As a quick musical note (haha punny because it's a note… and it's about music… I crack myself up) I was listening to some situation-related game songs while writing a certain section of this chapter. I won't say what happens, but at the line that starts out _"Hey," he said after a while, "we should get going…_ I would recommend listening to _**Toberu mono **_**from**_** The Last Story **_and/or _**Shulk and Fiora**_** from **_**Xenoblade Chronicles**_. Not to spoil anything for those of you who haven't played the games, but those are the songs that play in game when the best scenes happen (best in my opinion), so it seems appropriate :). Ah, life, why have you turned me into a hopeless romantic?

Disclaimer: GS isn't mine

* * *

"_Dada, where's Miss Mia now?" asked Matthew._

_Isaac frowned at his son, noting the curious looks of the two other children as well. Because none of them had ever met Mia, it seemed that they hoped to find out as much about her as possible through descriptions and storytelling._

"_She's still in Imil, kids," Garet answered before Isaac could. Isaac smiled lightly at his friend, silently thanking him for preventing the sadder parts of his memories from taking hold of him. Garet nodded back to him, a deep understanding between the two men. They had both had their share of painful past relationships and didn't need to dwell on them now if they could help it._

"_How come she isn't here?" asked Karis._

"_You'll have to wait to find out," said Isaac, putting on a weak smile to hide his sadness._

_Flint hopped over towards him and onto his lap. Directing his mental speech into only Isaac's mind, he spoke, "_Master, you seem troubled. Perhaps you should take a break and continue this story another time. It has been quite a while that we've sat here listening, and you seem distressed. Are these happy memories affecting you in an opposing manner?"

"_It's alright, Flint. I promised them that I would tell this story and I mean to do just that. On another note, you need to stop calling me Master; like I said in the story, we're friends, and friends don't need to speak to each other like that."_

"Heh, it's no use. Some of us old djinn still can't get used to the informalities that you've allowed for us. Sorry if it bothers you, but I've had too many formal Masters in the past that I don't know how this works. It's surprising enough that even the younger djinn are used to it; after all, they were asleep for as long as the rest of us were when alchemy was sealed. Technically they had to act formally as well. I guess it's just the adaptive qualities of the newer generation."

_Isaac chuckled and sent Flint to go sit with Matthew. They must have been wondering what Flint was saying in their private conversation anyway, so it was good to get back to the story. Still, Isaac's mood seemed lighter after hearing the words about 'younger' djinn from Flint. Despite being the newer generation of djinn, Isaac figured they'd still have to be at least a few hundred (or thousand) years old._

"_Sorry, guys, Flint was just telling me a… a funny story from the past. Anyway, what were we talking about?"_

"_You were talking about boring love stuff with Miss Mia and a tree," said Tyrell, huffing and slumping down. While the latest fight sequence had scared him the most, his attitude towards the love and relationship aspects of the story was still pretty negative. He wanted to go play, even if he had to go by himself, but Karis was unwilling to let go of his hand for any reason._

_Chuckling again, Isaac continued, "You may be bored, Tyrell, but you seem to be paying enough attention to know what's going on. Well, anyways, I spent quite some time in Imil…"_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Get her these, Isaac! It would be perfect!"

"I agree, ice roses are one of Weyard's most romantic gifts."

Isaac had already been in Imil for a week, and he'd decided that it was time to make his relationship with Mia official. It wasn't like he had never asked a girl out before – in fact he'd done it quite often before his adventure, with a surprisingly high success rate – but Mia was different; she had a special place in his heart. His usual approach would be simply to ask girls on a date somewhere nice and that would usually spark a relationship, but those had all been little things. He wasn't even sure he'd consider them relationships. Isaac knew he had to approach Mia in a different way because he'd already done so many special things with her that officially asking her to be his girlfriend would have to be extra special. He'd decided the best thing to do would be to consult with the two people who knew her the best: Megan and Justin. Luckily for him, Mia had her healing duties to attend to today, so he had a free afternoon to spend with them.

"Justin, what would you know about romance? You're a thirteen-year-old boy who's never even had a girlfriend!"

"I love you too, Megan… And, hey, you're only twelve and you've never had a boyfriend, so what would _you_ know about romance?"

"Uh, duh, I'm a girl! Girls know way more than boys do about romantic things!"

"Geez there's a couple like this in every village in Weyard," Isaac laughed as he stepped between the two bickering preadolescents. "Megan, you just said for yourself that these are romantic and all Justin did was agree. Justin, girls _do _know more about romance, trust me. Anyway, I think they're perfect too."

Isaac reached down to pluck some of the mysterious yet beautiful flowers growing in the frosty meadow that was a little ways from Mercury Lighthouse. The two young healers agreed that the best way to Mia's heart would be to give her something romantic because she had a real soft spot for those kinds of things. Since Imil was a rather bland town, they suggested that he search for a gift at the port. It turned out to be mostly a business-related port, so the few shops that were there didn't carry many gift type items. As they were heading back, Megan had gotten the idea to go to the meadow to find a gift.

"How do these manage to grow in a place like this?" asked Isaac.

They both shrugged; they were healers, not botanists. Isaac examined the flowers he was holding. He could instantly see why they were called ice roses; they resembled a rose that had petals made of ice. He wasn't even sure they were real flowers at first, but he was surprised to touch a soft, silky petal instead of the brittle ice he'd been expecting. The bulb was completely transparent, like ice, but not cold to the touch.

"These seem pretty common," he said, looking around at the many ice roses around him, "how come they're considered romantic if they're so typical?"

"Well, they're actually quite hard to find," said Megan matter-of-factly. "Maybe you just didn't notice, but we're nowhere near the main road between the lighthouse, port, or Imil. This meadow's actually hidden from view when you're at the entrance of the lighthouse. I only found it accidentally when I was going out to collect some Hermes' water. A gnome was chasing me so I ran and hid away behind a boulder. When I calmed down I looked around to see a whole bunch of these just growing around me."

"Oh, I guess Mia's seen them before then," he responded, head dropping a little in disappointment.

"Well, not exactly. I brought one back to test it for any medicinal purposes, but I wanted to keep them a secret. I had to show Mia, though, so I took a few petals off of it and showed them to her. I said a gnome dropped them and I hadn't seen anything like them before."

Isaac sighed in relief, happy to know that this would be a surprise for Mia. Taking a moment to pluck a few more, he smiled at his full bouquet of ice roses. They truly were beautiful, and the way the sun hit them was even more dazzling. He decided that the best time to give these to Mia would be once the moon was in the sky, giving the flowers a different lighting effect.

They were about to head back when something caught Isaac's attention. He turned his gaze towards it to see a cave opening off in the distance. He'd always had a weakness for adventure and exploration, so he thought it would be necessary to check out the unexplored cavern. "Have you guys ever seen that cave before?"

"How strange, I've been here a bunch of times before but I've never noticed that before," said Megan.

"I've never seen any maps that indicate there's supposed to be a cave over there. Perhaps it just appeared? Mia did say the land was changing," added Justin.

"C'mon, let's go check it out," Isaac said eagerly. "It'll be easy getting back. We just have to head in the direction of the lighthouse and then we can follow the path towards Imil."

The three of them took off towards their new discovery, excited to see what it was they'd found. Upon reaching the cave mouth, Isaac realized they hadn't brought a light source with them. Oddly, when he took one step into the cave, torches lining the walls lit up on their own, illuminating the pitch-black cavern. Smiling to his two young companions, he walked further into the cave.

Isaac hadn't seen something like this since his adventure, yet he was sure that he'd never been to this cave before. It was relatively small for a cave, and the floor and walls were lined with some sort of tile. It resembled a large symmetrical room of sorts. A few pillars formed what could best be described as a hall, and at the end of the hall was a staircase leading to some sort of altar. Without missing a beat, he ran up towards the peak of the altar to see what it was that was in this cave. He was expecting a summon tablet, for this room looked exactly like the other ones they'd found before that contained these hidden powers. However, when he reached the top he was met with a small wooden chest sitting in a slot in the wall. A stone engraving of the ancient language could be seen above, but he couldn't read it.

"Bane, I need your help," Isaac muttered quietly. A light flash emitted beside him to reveal the djinni he'd met at the Crossbone Isle.

"_Yes, Master, I am here. What services do you require of me?"_ Bane asked him. Bane was oldest of all Venus djinn, making him the most knowledgeable of them as well; however, Isaac was completely unable to change his formal attitude because of this.

"I need you to translate this ancient script for me. I don't want to examine this chest until I know what this message, or warning, says."

"_Very well, it will be done." _The djinni took a moment to hover in front of the words, carefully examining them and mumbling what they said in the ancient language before turning back towards Isaac. _"Interesting. Master, the box should be safe to open. The sign translates roughly to 'Ye who hath entered this cavern are commended, for this is one of few secret Caverns of the Gods hidden throughout Weyard. Thou hast found the fabled Cavern of Venus, Goddess of Love. Within this chest, thou shall find a gift left by her holiness for the adept whose heart is pure enough to find this sacred place. May you cherish it forever'. It is also signed by Hermes himself. Quite the stroke of luck finding this place, Master Isaac."_

A wide grin spread itself across Isaac's face. Not only had he found a sacred Cavern of the Gods by accident, but the gift of Venus could potentially be something else he could give to Mia. What better way to express your feelings for someone than by giving them a gift from the Goddess of Love? Opening the chest, he looked confusedly at the two gems placed within. The chest was awfully large for the two small things it contained. Carefully reaching in to take them out, he examined them more closely in his hands. A gradual colour change occurred in the clear jewels as one began to turn a golden honey colour and the other a beautiful sea blue. He was confused by this change, but realized that they each seemed to form half a shape: a heart. Two gems put together to form a heart, each the colour of his and Mia's elements. What was this power? Could it sense whom his heart most desired? Isaac guessed that one jewel must represent the colour of his element and the elemental colour of the one his heart desired. Feeling satisfied with his reasoning, Isaac descended from the altar and left the cave with Megan and Justin. Once they stepped out of the cave, they were surprised to turn around and see that it had completely disappeared; only the snowy plains behind it remaining. Confused but satisfied with their discovery, the three adepts headed back towards Mercury Lighthouse.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

It had been quite an interesting day for Isaac, and he was glad that Mia's healing duties for the day were nearly finished. It wasn't quite sunset, and he was glad that the skies were clear on this specific day. Not quite sure how to pass the last few minutes that Mia would take; he started taking a walk around Imil. For no particular reason, he found himself strolling towards a small cemetery next to the sanctum. From what he could see, the headstones all had similar surnames. _They must have been part of the Mercury clan: Mia's family. Megan and Justin's families. It must have been rough for all of them. I can't imagine what life would have been like without my parents. I'm glad they have each other. That traitor, Alex; how could he leave them alone like this? Abandoning Mia when she was sixteen to care for two children; I'm disgusted. He forced them to grow up too quickly. It's hard to believe someone as kind as Mia was cousins with someone as despicable as him._

"It's been fourteen years, yet it feels like they were here just yesterday."

Isaac jumped at the sudden voice from behind him. Quickly turning around, he faced a sad-looking Mia looking down at two of the graves to his right. _These must be her parents._ He slowly walked over to her and lightly squeezed her hand. He wasn't sure what to say right now, so he simply comforted her. She didn't cry or show any sign of tears; rather, she leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. She had clearly been to visit this cemetery many times, so it made sense to Isaac that she was not going to break down when coming here.

"Hey," he said after a while, "we should get going. I don't want you to feel sad all night. I have something special planned for you."

She looked up at him curiously and smiled, "Really? I didn't realize there was a special occasion tonight, but alright." Hand-in-hand, they left the cemetery and headed towards the north side of town.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Isaac, it's beautiful up here," said Mia. Isaac had spent part of his day finding the perfect place to give her the gifts he'd found for her. They sat at the top of the frozen waterfall on a couple of stumps; watching the orange glow of the setting sun.

"Yeah, it is. Mia, I… I found this place earlier because I wanted to find the perfect place to take you tonight."

"Thank you, Isaac, but whatever for? You never said what the occasion was."

"Well," he started, nerves beginning to get the better of him, "I-I just thought… well, I've been spending quite a bit of time with you lately… a-and I thought maybe…"

"Yes, Isaac?" she asked him when he stopped.

He didn't know what to say, the words getting caught in his throat, so he changed the subject slightly. "I got these for you." He pulled out the ice roses he'd hidden earlier from a hole beneath his stump, forgetting his plan to give them to her in the moonlight.

"Oh, Isaac," gasped Mia, clearly not expecting such a wonderful gift. "They're beautiful! Ice roses, the flowers of romance." She took a moment to sniff the sweet, cool fragrance they gave off. "I've never seen anything so lovely."

"I have, in fact I see something lovelier and more beautiful than these every day. How's that possible? Well, she's sitting right next to me."

Mia blushed and giggled a bit, leaning herself on him. "Thank you, Isaac. We've only been here for a short time, and tonight is already my favourite night we've spent together."

He smiled back at her. She looked dazzling in the light of the setting sun with the sparkling roses in her hands. "I… I had something to ask you, Mia."

"What is it, Isaac?"

Feeling more confident than he had before, he reached into his pocket to retrieve the jewels from the cavern. Sitting her up straight, he opened his palm to show them to her. This felt strangely like a marriage proposal, but it was only him asking her to officially be his girlfriend. He blushed at the thought.

"Mia, earlier I found the Cavern of Venus, Goddess of Love. It was one of the most surprising things that has ever happened to me, and inside I was given a gift from the Goddess herself. These two jewels represent my heart and the heart of the one I truly desire. As you can see, the gold gem is mine but the other one is much more special to me than the gold gem. It's because the blue colour… it represents-"

"Me," she finished his sentence quietly. In that one word she'd managed to sound extremely happy and surprised at the same time. She looked from the jewel up to Isaac, joyous tears filling her blue orbs.

"Yes, Mia. It's odd, this feels kind of like a marriage proposal, but I want you to have these. I'd like you to keep them as a gift from," he gulped, "your boyfriend."

She took a second to process the words, and he was afraid he'd screwed up; however, she quickly wrapped him in a tight hug and let out a happy sob she'd been holding back. "Of course I will, Isaac. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for us to officially be a couple. You're the only one I think of nowadays."

He felt his heart leap as she said those words, and he tightly embraced her as well. Slightly loosening their grips, they looked into each other's deep blue eyes; both brimming with happy tears. He had done it; he'd finally shown her how he really felt for her. Time stopped in that moment as they stared into each other's eyes. Without a second thought, Isaac brought his hand up around the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. All the suppressed emotions, the planning for this moment, the feelings he'd hidden even from himself had all led up to this moment of pure happiness. He felt his stress melt away as their lips pressed together, locked in a moment of raw emotion. Isaac forgot the world around him, the life he had left behind, the pain he'd once been through; it all melted away from his mind. Nothing could possibly compare to this moment with the girl who constantly occupied his mind. The nervous butterflies had burst from his chest in a feeling of complete euphoria. What was pain? What was sadness? What was depression? He couldn't quite remember what it was like to be upset. There was nothing quite like the simple action of kissing the one you cared for, the one you _loved_, to make everything else seem trivial. He didn't need to know the answer to anything else in his life; he had Mia, the one who'd made everything right in his life.

He only wondered one thing: was she experiencing everything he was? He couldn't imagine how she could have been feeling any different. Sure, they had been acting like a couple but they were never really together. Mia's love seemed to overflow the hole that Jenna had left in his heart. He felt things for the Mercury adept that he'd never felt for anyone else before. His relationship with Jenna was silly, young, and nothing that he should be upset over. What he had with Mia was _real_, and he could feel it from the moment they had first held hands in Bilibin.

Isaac never wanted the kiss to end, but, alas, all good things must come to an end, and they eventually parted their lips to look lovingly into each other's eyes again. She had a passion that he'd never felt from another girl before. Jenna's passionate behaviour was nothing compared to Mia's. He loved the discrete way that Mia kept her feelings held back so not to disrupt a situation, but knew exactly how to release them when the moment was right.

"Wow," he said softly. It was all he could manage to say right then; he was stuck for any other words, so he simply repeated himself, "wow."

She giggled at his lack of vocabulary, but it seemed that she didn't really know what to say either. Gently caressing his hands she took the jewels and looked down at them. Isaac glanced down too to see them switch colours: gold to blue and blue to gold. This only helped confirm his theory that one represented the owner's heart and the other was the heart of the one they desired. He brought his gaze back up to her face while she still admired the gems in her hands. He lightly brushed some locks from her face before she looked back up at him.

"Mia," it seemed he'd regained his ability to speak, "you're the most incredible person I've ever met in my entire life. I can't believe it's taken me so long to say this but I lo-"

She put a finger to his lips as he was about to finish his sentence. Wrapping him in another tight squeeze she lovingly whispered in his ear, "You don't have to say it, Isaac. I know how you feel because I feel the same way for you. I'd rather you show me your love than tell me."

He chuckled a bit before pulling out of their hug to receive another kiss: instigated by Mia this time. He could get used to this feeling. That was when he decided to finish what he'd wanted to say to her. Hesitantly parting their lips, he spoke again.

"Mia, I have something else to tell you."

"Honestly, Isaac, I don't know how many good things I can handle in one night," she laughed.

He laughed as well before continuing, "Just don't tackle me over the waterfall in your joy, then. I realized when I wanted us to be together that I wanted this to be a serious relationship. I don't plan on hurting you and I definitely don't plan on leaving you; which is why I've decided that I'm going to get a job out here so I can buy a house. In short, I'm here to stay, Mia."

"Isaac," said Mia, starting to choke up.

"Yes, Mia?"

It seemed she was at a loss for words, continuously repeating his name slowly before pulling him into another kiss. Why hadn't he done this sooner? There was no one he cared more greatly for in all of Weyard, and he wished he'd done this so much earlier on. Why had he even bothered with Jenna? If he hadn't been so concentrated on saving her, he would have noticed the beautiful Mercury adept travelling with him for all that time.

The two new lovers sat atop the waterfall until late into the night. The glow of the sunset had set the scene and they hardly even noticed the change from dusk to moonlight over the village of Imil. Despite the blandness of the small town, Isaac and Mia could not have asked for a better place to start their new relationship with each other.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"_Eeeeeeew!" shouted Tyrell, "Too much kissing in this story!"_

"Garet, sounds like your son doesn't like the romance genre too much" _said Fever. _"Funny how he still can't let go of this pretty little lady's hand. It almost looks like he's holding it back."

"_I am not!" Tyrell screamed, noticeably loosening his grip on Karis's hand._

"Aw, come on, Fever, he's just gotta get in the right mood," _Breeze said mischievously. He flew up onto Karis's shoulder and mentally whispered something so only she could hear. Gasping and giggling she nodded her head before Breeze flew back down to his Mars companion._

_Before little Tyrell knew what was happening, Karis quickly gave him a big wet kiss on the lips and laughed with the djinn. The young Mars adept wiped his mouth and started spitting in an attempt to get all of Karis's 'girl germs' off of him. Matthew seemed too preoccupied with the jewel sitting in the locket to notice what was going on, but Garet let out a huge roar of laughter, and Isaac simply smirked and chuckled a bit. Noticing that his son had suddenly become interested in the jewel, Isaac picked up Matthew and sat him on his lap on the chair._

"_Dada, is this the gem you gave to Miss Mia?"_

"_Yes, Matthew, as you can see it's still the same colours."_

"_But-but-but shouldn't the blue one be red? Mama isn't a blue!"_

_Isaac was afraid of this moment. This was the reason he'd been hesitant to tell the story. They hadn't really questioned anything up until this point, and for that Isaac had been grateful. Sighing, he turned Matthew on his lap to face him, "Look, Matthew, this story isn't going to be easy for you to understand. Your mother and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye anymore. I know you're confused right now, but I'll try to make it all make sense for you, okay?"_

_Matthew stared blankly at his father, still wondering why the blue jewel was not red. However, he was a patient boy, so he would wait until Isaac was able to explain it for him in the story. "Okay, Dada, I'll wait for you to tell us."_

_Isaac smiled and placed Matthew back on the couch next to Flint. Sitting back in his chair he looked over to the others who had somewhat changed their seating arrangement. Karis and Tyrell still sat hand-in-hand, but the djinn were now floating on the other side of Garet. It seemed that Tyrell had had enough of their antics for one story. Isaac shook his head before saying something to them._

"_I've come to realize something after talking to Matthew. Tyrell, Karis, you two may, like Matthew, be confused by the next parts of the story I'm about to tell. You'll probably be wondering quite a bit, so I'll try to make this as easy for you to understand as I can, but it will probably confuse you anyway."_

_The two young adepts looked at each other and then back at Isaac, nodding to show they understood._

_Glad that they were quick to respond, Isaac continued his story, "Okay, after we first kissed on that night, things were quickly starting to get better for me…"_

* * *

And that is where I end this chapter. Oh man, that kissing scene was probably one of the more intense things I've ever tried to write. Trying to extract a crapload of feelings and emotions that are all happening at the same time is not the easiest task. However, I liked it. A lot. And listening to romantic game music at the same time could not have made writing that part any better.

Anyways, let me know how you liked (or disliked) this chapter. I'm sure the mudshippers will be over the moon, but I do also like hearing how you neutral non-mudshippers are feeling about this story. Obviously anti-mudshippers won't be happy, so it's hard to get an opinion out of them, but feedback is always appreciated as long as it's constructive.

R&R and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	12. Forgiveness

Happy New Year! I don't really have any resolutions for this year because I'm usually pretty consistent with the things I already do, so changing it up would just mess with my system :P. Anyway, not much else to say, so let's get to it!

Thanks to **AnriMia24** and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own it.

* * *

"Captain, there's a few shady characters hanging around the outskirts of town. Shall we dispatch them?"

"No, just go see what they're up to. I'd like to avoid a conflict tonight if I can. Act defensively: don't start fighting unless they instigate. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!"

The lightly armoured man saluted and ran off, leaving the captain to continue his nightly patrol by the eastern gate of Imil. It was difficult to describe how such success had befallen young Captain Isaac of the Imil Militia. Having only spent about one and a half years in Imil, he had surprisingly garnered the fame and love of the citizens by forming a militia to keep the town safe from monsters and dangerous folk. Even the soon-to-be twenty-two-year-old captain couldn't explain his success, other than by luck in timing.

Realizing that his shift was up, Isaac quietly marched to the small watchtower to relieve himself. There hadn't been much trouble as of late, but Isaac's rise to becoming a well-known figure in the town had been – in his eyes – mostly due to being in the right place at the right time. A group of gnomes and trolls happened to decide that they would try to raid the town on the same night he'd finished training his ten recruits. Using his tactical skills, Isaac saw to it that the ten newly trained soldiers fought off the outnumbering monsters without any casualties on their side. The following week, he'd had an overwhelming number of applicants wishing to become soldiers under the name of Captain Isaac. Since then, not even the large morphed monsters that he'd seen with Felix had been able to penetrate the walls surrounding Imil.

Descending the stairs of the watchtower, he nodded to the soldier who was to relieve him of his patrol duty. Rather than heading home, Isaac instead trudged in the direction of the sanctum. After a long day of keeping watch he wanted to do nothing more than see the woman he loved. Despite his reputation, he often still felt embarrassed by the praise he received from the townsfolk when they spoke of him and Mia. 'The Saviours of Imil' they were known as. Mia thought it was cute, but Isaac was too humble to consider himself a saviour; he felt that he'd done what anyone capable enough would have done. However, the townsfolk loved their heroic lovers as if they were some sort of fairytale prince and princess: the stalwart, heroic captain, Isaac, and the beautiful, angelic healer, Mia. Together, they were a pairing that Venus smiled upon.

"Hi, Isaac! Anything cool happen tonight?" asked Megan when he opened the sanctum doors. She was standing at the altar with a rabbit she'd healed after finding it with a broken leg.

"Nah, just a couple of thugs outside the city. Doesn't sound like they were causing any trouble, though. How about you?"

She shrugged, "Nothing cool usually happens in here. Mr. Puff is getting better, though."

Chuckling, he petted the small, white rabbit before heading into the back to find Mia. Though the townspeople were glad for him and Mia, they still would have found it somewhat blasphemous for them to live together since they weren't married. The two of them were fine with this situation, however, as they had only lived in a household together while staying in Bilibin. His house wasn't too far from the sanctum, anyway, so they could see each other pretty often.

The door creaked open to reveal the large living room where the three Mercury adepts could relax and prepare meals and such. Justin was sitting by the fire reading a book while waiting for his soup to boil. Isaac smiled when he saw the title of the book: _The Beginner's Guide in Swordplay, Tactics, and Fighting Techniques._ When first forming the militia, Justin had pleaded Isaac to let him join. Isaac had always felt guilty for telling Justin that his duty was as a healer, not a fighter; Mia would never forgive him if something happened to one of her closest companions. Since then the young Mercury adept had been reading books on fighting, and swinging Isaac's fencing sword around. In truth, Isaac could see some potential in Justin, but he'd sworn to Mia that he wouldn't let him join until he was at least eighteen, and even that made her uncomfortable. He always figured that it was because Mia had been like a mother figure to them after Alex deserted her.

"Hey, Justin, is Mia around?"

"Oh, hi, Isaac. I think she's in her room right now," he said without looking up from his book.

Thanking him, Isaac turned towards the staircase that led up to the healers' rooms. Mia's was at the end of the small hallway, and Megan and Justin's were on either side leading towards hers. Isaac once asked where Alex used to sleep, but she said that he was old enough to inherit his parents' home after they passed away, so he never had to live at the sanctum.

The door was slightly cracked open when Isaac approached, and he decided to take a quick peek in before knocking. From what he could see, Mia was sitting by her desk fixing her hair. The locket he'd given her all that time ago was hanging around her neck while she tied the ribbon around her hair into a ponytail. He watched as she clicked the locket open and smiled. The gift from Venus had been a perfect fit in the heart-shaped side in the locket, and she'd put a small photo of them on the other side. Deciding he'd spied on her for long enough he knocked on the door.

"Coming," she said melodically, closing the locket. When she opened the door, he got a better look at her. She was wearing the casual, wavy, green dress he'd bought her for her twenty-first birthday. She smiled and gave him a quick kiss, "I was about to come see you."

"Well, then it's a good thing I got here before you left," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "How was your day?"

"Not bad, I got a letter from Piers today. Apparently he's been discovering all sorts of new landmasses all across Weyard. Ivan, Hama, and Kraden are all with him right now. I think he said something about coming here to visit. I haven't told them that you're here with me, so it'll be a bit of a surprise for everyone."

"Yeah, although I'm sure Kraden will be less surprised since he was still in New Vale when I left. It'll be nice to see everyone again."

"Mm. Isaac…"

"What is it, Mia?"

"I… Well, it's been quite some time now, but… Have you spoken to Garet or Jenna recently?"

Isaac looked blankly at her, mouth opening a bit as if to say something. He hadn't talked to either of them since he left New Vale. His parents were the only ones who knew where he was, as he still kept in touch with them, but they never spoke of how the two Mars adepts were doing.

"N-no, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"I'm sorry, Isaac, it's just that you always said that you were happy that they were happy together, but you haven't spoken to them at all. I thought that maybe since they're your best friends you might have at least given them one letter."

It was true that he'd forgiven them a long time ago, but he was still unsure of how to talk to them. To go from seeing people every day to not seeing them at all was something that had cut his ties to them completely. He used to be able to talk about anything with them, and yet he had no idea how to even say hello anymore.

"Don't apologize, Mia, it isn't your fault. I just… I just don't really know how to talk to them anymore. What am I supposed to say: how have you been? I don't want to treat them like they're strangers, yet that seems to be the only way I can think of keeping in touch with them. I know they'd say that I can talk to them the same way that I always used to, but they don't really understand that it's going to take a long time before things can go back to the way they were, whether I've forgiven them or not."

For once, it seemed that Mia didn't know what to say. Usually she'd have some sort of advice to give him, but this time he figured that his argument was solid enough that she didn't have something to respond with. Instead, she let go of him and opened one of her desk drawers. Shuffling through some papers, she found one that she instantly folded into a neat little rectangle and handed to him. Confused, Isaac began unfolding it before she stopped him.

"I think you should read this on your own time, Isaac. The letter is addressed to me, but there is a reason I want you to see it. Just not right now. Let's go to your house for now; it's quite a bit comfier there than it is here." She smiled and took him by the arm. Kissing her on the cheek he turned them around and led her out of the sanctum towards his house.

Upon reaching his house, Isaac fumbled with the lock a bit before opening the door to let them in. Apparently, this had been Mia's home as a child before her parents passed away. He thought it odd that he'd somehow ended up buying the same house she'd grown up in until the age of six, but he enjoyed that she always seemed so calm when she came here. It must have been a strange but refreshing experience for her to revisit a place she knew so well. Though she wasn't old enough to inherit the home as a child, he was glad to welcome her into the house whenever she felt the need to go there.

Mia went to sit by the fireplace while Isaac went to change out of his armour and put the letter away. As he ascended the staircase, he became awfully curious about what the contents of the letter might contain. He didn't want to keep Mia waiting for him, so he decided that he would quickly scan the letter to get an idea of why she'd given it to him. The first thing he noticed was that it was in Jenna's handwriting, but the letter was signed from both her and Garet. The second thing he noticed was that his own name was written several times throughout it. While he didn't get the chance to actually see what context his name was being used in, it was clear to him why Mia wished for him to read this letter. Quickly stripping off his armour and changing into some casual clothes, he put the letter on his desk and went back downstairs to join the Mercury adept.

She was lying on the couch when he got downstairs. She giggled and held her arms out for him to sit her up; however, when he went to pull her into a sitting position, she pulled him down on top of her in a playful manner. The two of them laughed as he lightly fell onto her and shared a few kisses before getting into a more comfortable cuddling position.

"So, Captain," she said playfully, her back leaning against his chest, "what sort of trouble did you get up to today?"

He chuckled, "Not much, really. Lately there hasn't been too much trouble; I guess we showed those monsters who's boss. The mauler and troll battle for territory is getting a little more heated, though. I think once they've stopped fighting each other they might head towards Imil, so I've been preparing the troops for that. Other than that it was just a few thugs outside town tonight."

"I'm so glad that my big, brave, strong hero is here to keep little me safe from all those scary beasties," she giggled.

He gave a breathy chuckle and kissed the top of her head. He loved how adorable she could be even if she was playfully mocking him. It didn't matter what she did, everything about her made his heart melt.

"Well, if I ever get hurt by one of those 'beasties', at least I'll have the lovely angel to tend to my wounds," he responded just as playfully.

She grinned and turned her head to face him. She gave him a quick peck on the lips before he smirked devilishly. "Actually, I was talking about Megan, but I guess you could help out too."

She laughed and elbowed him lightly, as it was all she could manage to hit him with. "Ew, you pedo! You're almost twenty-two and she's only thirteen! You can't even joke about that!"

He laughed in response, trying to think of a good comeback, "Yeah, you're right, she's too young for me. Maybe Justin, though; he's an awfully good healer."

Mia fell into a perpetual giggle fit, unable to stop even after she seemed to calm down a bit. Isaac laughed as well. _One-nothing Isaac_ he thought to himself.

"I hope to Mercury you aren't _actually _into guys, Isaac. What would that say about us?" she finally managed to say between giggles.

He tried to think of something serious to say, but he was on a roll with all these comebacks. "Well, I guess that would mean you remind me of a guy," he joked, bracing himself for a smack from Mia.

Just as expected, her mouth dropped open and she bopped him on the head, but continued laughing the whole time. "You dick! Take that back!"

Upon hearing those words, Isaac couldn't restrain himself from bursting out laughing. Mia hardly ever used insulting words, so it was unarguably humourous how unnatural it sounded for her to use such words. Turning her so that she was now facing him, he pulled her into a long kiss as his way of apologizing. When they parted lips he softly said, "How could I think the most beautiful girl in all of Weyard looks like a guy? I would never want to see what other girls looked like if that were the case."

She blushed bashfully and gave him a tight squeeze. The two of them went on joking and talking for quite some time. Eventually Mia fell asleep, as she often did when they spent late nights together, and Isaac carried her up to his bed. Laying her down, he kissed her and whispered, "Good night, love," before grabbing the letter from his desk and heading back downstairs. Now that he had time to read it, he made sure to pay close attention to the words neatly written on the parchment. It seemed that Jenna had already talked to Mia about what had happened between the ex-couple. Upon further inspection, he also noticed that Mia hadn't told the Mars adepts that she had already found him.

_Dear Mia,_

_It's been ages since we last saw you! I think it's been about ten months already. I guess we can't blame you for when you said that something came up when you were coming to visit four months ago. I'm sure Isaac misses you as well, wherever he is. I'm not sure if we told you, but he left right before you were supposed to arrive. I feel horrible for what happened. Garet tells me that I shouldn't worry because Isaac knows how to fend for himself, but I can tell that he's worried too. We haven't heard from him at all, and I hope he hasn't done anything reckless to himself. Isaac is such a close friend and this was exactly what I was afraid would happen if he found out about Garet and I. You were always such a dear friend to him, and I'm sure if anyone could help him it would be you. I suppose that you'd have to know where he is to help him, though. I don't mean to distress you with this news that he's been missing, I'm just upset that I'm the cause of all this. I have Garet to help me through all of this, but Isaac's all alone now. Please, if you see him, let us know if he's okay. We would never be able to forgive ourselves if something awful happened to him._

_Yours truly,  
__Jenna and Garet_

Isaac could feel his eyes begin to water, and he lay the letter down on his lap. Despite everything they had put him through, he couldn't stand the fact that he'd made them so worried. Yes, he was mad at them, but Isaac wasn't the type of person to deliberately hurt someone if he could help it. He didn't even want to think of how his mother must have felt when she read the note. His father would have been there to comfort her, but this feeling of guilt was unbearable, and he felt his heart sink into his stomach. Something nuzzled against his neck and he looked to see Quartz sitting on his shoulder.

"_You can't blame yourself for this, Isaac; it is not your fault. Everything that you regret doing was actually quite justifiable in the situation."_

"I appreciate that you're trying to help, Quartz, but I am guilty of my actions. If I'd stopped to think how it might affect the others, I may not have hurt so many of them."

"_Ugh, I can't __**stand**__ listening to you go on like this," _sounded Mist's condescending voice. Two blue flashes emitted on top of the letter to reveal Mist and Sleet.

"_I knew I didn't like you for a reason," _said Sleet. He was typically a quiet djinni, but he spoke with such power in his voice on the rare occasions that he did say something. _"Self-loathing is not a strong attribute, and certainly does not fit with Lady Mia."_

"_Listen up, rockhead!" _Mist poked at him with her tail, _"All you can think about is how much worse you made everyone's lives, but you're missing one of the most important things here: you've made Miss Mia happy! I have no idea what she sees in you, but all I know is that she loves you and you love her. You two are happy together because of what you did, and all you can think about is the negatives. For all we know, you'd be killing yourself if you had stayed home. I don't want you going and hurting Miss Mia with all your negativity, so you better watch your back!"_

With that, the two Mercury djinn disappeared, leaving a speechless Isaac and Quartz. Before either of the two could say anything, Flint, Bane, Eddy, and Balm appeared beside them on the couch.

"_My word, that Mist certainly likes to shoot her mouth off, doesn't she?"_ said Eddy. He seemed the exact opposite of Mist, calm and collected.

"_I swear to Venus, if she rants on Master Isaac like that one more time, so help me, I'll personally stomp her tail flat!" _growled Flint.

"_Master Isaac, please forgive young Mist. It seems that, being the youngest of my clan, she feels that she holds no authority to anyone but Lady Mia. I shall warn her again that if she continues to behave in this manner that there will be consequences," _said Balm. It seemed to Isaac that Balm was a female, Mercury equivalent to Bane: the eldest of her type of djinn.

"Thank you, Balm. It really isn't any trouble to me. Truth be told, I can understand what Mist is talking about. I do put too much blame on myself without thinking of the positives."

"_Nevertheless," _started Bane, _"it is unacceptable for a djinni to speak to a Master in such an inexcusable manner. I believe that I shall also pay her a visit with you, Balm."_

"_Isaac," _Quartz said quietly, _"what will you do now that you've read this letter? Clearly Miss Mia wanted you to see it for a reason, but are you going to let Miss Jenna and Garet know where you are and how you've been?"_

"I suppose that would be the responsible thing to do right now, Quartz. I'm an adult now, so I should treat the situation in a mature way." The elder djinn all hopped to show their support for him before disappearing, once again leaving Isaac and Quartz alone.

With Quartz still sitting on his shoulder, Isaac walked into a small office room, which contained a bookshelf, a desk, and a lantern. Pulling out some blank parchment from the desk, he sat himself down and tried to think of things that he could write to Jenna and Garet.

"Any idea how I should start this Quartz?"

She shrugged and hopped onto the desk to help him think. It wasn't long before he decided to start by letting them know that he was okay. Dipping his quill in the inkwell, he began writing his letter.

_Jenna and Garet_

_I'm sure you two will be very surprised to hear from me. It's been quite some time since we've had any sort of communication. I must apologize for the worry I've caused you to feel. I had to sort out my feelings, but I've finally been able to settle and figure out my life. While I may have been extremely angry with you before (again, I apologize; especially to you, Garet), I've been able to look past it and see the positives. For the past two years I've been with Mia. Just over a year ago, I moved to Imil and I'm now the captain of the local militia that protects the village. In my time here I've been able to forgive the both of you, and I'm actually glad that you're happy together. I've found my happiness with Mia, as we've been a couple for as long as I've been living in Imil. Perhaps leaving New Vale was one of my less thought out plans, but it's led me to where I am now: happily living with the woman I love. I hope that we can all stay close friends, no matter the physical distances between us. Choosing to leave was the easy part, but learning from it has been one of my greatest challenges. I do hope that I can see you again. I've heard that Piers, Ivan, Hama, and Kraden will all be in Imil soon, so perhaps you could come visit at the same time as them. We'll always be friends, no matter what._

_Yours,  
__Isaac_

He scanned over his letter before setting it down to dry. He was satisfied with what he'd written; although, he would've liked to make it feel a bit less distant. He shrugged and leaned back in his seat, figuring that it felt distant because he'd been distant, so it only made sense that the letter turned out as such. A blanketed pair of arms circled around him from behind, causing him to jump slightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Isaac," said a sleepy Mia. Had she been waiting for him to write the letter?

"I… I had no idea they were so worried about me. It was bad enough thinking of my mom, but I didn't know they would feel the same way."

She came around the chair and sat on his lap, leaning her blanket-huddled body against his. "Oh, Isaac, of course they were worried about you. Whether they thought you hated them or not, they would be worried because they're your friends. True friends care about each other through everything. You yourself said that you missed them, but you never did anything about it. I figured that you just needed that little push, so I showed you the letter she wrote to me a while ago."

Isaac held Mia tightly, pressing his face into the blanket she had wrapped around herself. He couldn't understand how he'd managed to find someone so wonderful. She always had his best interests in mind, even if he didn't know what they were himself. He loved everything about her, and it had been because of his decision to leave that he'd been able to realize it.

Starting to feel tired, he lifted Mia as he stood and carried her to his room. She giggled a bit, noticing that he was tired but still willing to carry her to bed. Not bothering to change into his nightclothes, he crawled under the blanket that Mia replaced on the bed. They kissed goodnight and went into their regular spooning position.

* * *

Well, it seemed a bit shorter than I wanted it to be, but when I tried adding more after they went to sleep it just didn't seem to flow very well. Hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out quickly (writer's block ugh) so that you guys don't have to wait around forever for an update.

Anyway, R&R and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	13. Reunion

Ugh, back to school on Monday :/. I suppose I'm pretty consistent with how often I post new chapters, regardless of school or whatever, but this could mean getting updates less often.

When I first wrote this chapter, it was a direct continuation off of the last chapter; however, when I wrote it, I didn't like the huge change in theme that was going on. This is a completely rewritten chapter, and it took me a while to write something I was actually satisfied with, so hopefully it's up to the standards I've placed on the other ones.

Thanks to **AnriMia24 **and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing!

On with the story!

Disclaimer: …

* * *

"Well, well, well, this is a surprise."

"It sure is, Kraden. I don't think any of us expected to see Isaac here."

"Oh, come now, Ivan, you and I both predicted this would happen. You shouldn't lie to your elders."

"Hama, please don't do this in front of my friends…"

It was four months before Piers arrived in Imil with the others. While Mia was a bit annoyed with his interpretation of the word 'soon', it only made sense, as Piers was still getting accustomed to the outside world's view of time. Contrarily, it had given the others – Jenna, Garet, Sheba, and Felix – time to make their way towards the isolated town so that the old group could be reunited in time for winter.

"I suppose it seems like a long time to you all, doesn't it?" said Piers, who was unloading the last of their belongings from the ship.

"Kind of," replied Isaac, "in truth I feel like it's been just the right amount of time for us to all reunite."

"Yes," agreed Mia, "and you all look so different! Have Isaac and I changed as much as all of you?"

"Well, yes and no," said Ivan, "I mean you seem to have matured with age, but to me you look the same."

"Ah, but you see that is the ignorance of youth," stated Kraden, "for I see you all as completely different people now. Of course Hama seems the same, but that is to be expected, as she was already an adult when we first met her. Nevertheless, I believe that you have all changed drastically since we were last together, including you, Isaac! Why it seems like only yesterday…" and on he went, blabbering about anything that came to mind.

"So what are you doing in Imil, Isaac?" asked Piers.

"I think I'll wait until everyone's here before I tell my story, I wouldn't want to have to repeat it multiple times because some people weren't here."

"When's everyone supposed to get here?" asked Ivan.

"If my prediction is correct," interjected Hama, "Jenna and Garet should be here sometime this week, and Felix and Sheba shortly afterward."

"Well, let's stop hanging around here, then!" Mia said happily. "It's only a short journey back to Imil."

The partially reunited group headed back towards the village, Isaac casting Carry on any extra baggage that they wouldn't normally be able to take in one trip. Before long, they were within the gates of Imil and heading towards the rental homes that Mia and Isaac had paid for; they didn't wish for their friends to pay for an inn while they were guests in the town. Still, rental homes were somewhat costly, so the two of them had only been able to afford three homes for the eight guests they had. Since no one wanted to stay with Kraden, the remaining seven would have to figure out how to squeeze into two homes. Nevertheless, their friends were grateful that they wouldn't have to pay, so Isaac and Mia left them to settle in and figure out the living and sleeping arrangements.

"I'm so glad everyone could make it," Mia said as she and Isaac walked hand-in-hand along the powdery snow-covered path. "Hopefully everyone can stay long enough for the Luna Celebration this year!"

Isaac smiled, recalling his memories of his first Luna Celebration two years ago. "That would be cool; I'd like to see the look on some of their faces when the lights go up."

Mia giggled, "I bet none of them would have sillier reactions than you did."

"No, but they'll probably all jump off of their seats like me," he chuckled.

"Mm. Isaac?"

"What is it, Mia?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad you're here with me. These past two years have been the best of my life, and I have no one to thank but you. You've made me the happiest girl in the world."

He smiled and the two adepts locked eyes for a moment before Isaac stooped a little to give her a kiss. Mia was his saviour, his everything, the love of his life. He hoped that he could live like this forever, his only care in the world being the beautiful azure-haired maiden with him right now. Parting their lips, the two continued walking down the path, no particular destination in either of their minds.

A few women passed by and looked on enviously, huddling together and whispering while indiscreetly staring at them. Mia used to get upset over little things like that, but Isaac had managed to convince her that there was nothing to get upset over, as middle-aged single men often looked at them enviously as well. They were often the relationship talk of the town, and it sometimes overwhelmed them. Not only was Mia known throughout Imil as a saviour, but Isaac was as well due to various feats of leadership over the past couple years; not to mention her fame across most of Angara for being the Healing Angel, or both of their Weyard-wide fame as Warriors of Vale. No, it seemed as though fate had planned some sort of fame to accompany their loving relationship; not that it mattered much to them, for if they had each other then nothing else mattered.

"Do you remember the time you saved Imil from the lizard men?" Mia asked suddenly.

"How could I forget?" Isaac replied flatly. Indeed it had been quite the memorable incident. One day a few months ago, hundreds of lizard warriors climbed out of the ocean with the intent of raiding Imil. It had been a long and bloody battle with many casualties on both sides; eventually, Isaac had managed to end the battle by summoning Judgment upon the foul creatures.

"Mm, it just makes me remember how heroic you were even to the very end. You almost died to save Justin!"

Another memory sparked in his mind. A few lizard warriors had scurried out of Judgment's blast radius and started making their way towards the village. Justin, who had been watching the battle from the gates, saw this as an opportunity to prove his worth to Isaac. Brandishing one of Isaac's old rapiers, he rushed out to meet the five warriors charging towards the city gates. Megan had been up in the watchtower trying to freeze the monsters with Tundra, but it had little effect on the burly, aquatic monsters. Isaac was able to reach the battle scene, but it seemed too late. Justin had managed to slay one of the beasts, but was knocked unconscious and stabbed through the midsection. Isaac, feeling broken and distraught, ignored his exhausted mind and body, and slayed the dreaded beasts before carrying Justin to the sanctum and eventually passing out from exhaustion.

"That was quite the scare alright," he replied. "I thought Justin was a goner, and I couldn't help but think it was my fault."

"But it wasn't your fault, Isaac. There was no way you could've foreseen something like that happening. You did everything you could, and because of that you're both still alive now. You saved him."

"I suppose…"

Mia lightly hit him in the stomach and giggled. "You know, you're too modest for your own good. Sometimes it _is _alright to take credit for the good things you've done!"

He chuckled lightly, figuring that Mia was right as always. It was true, anyway, and he knew it. He was just a humble person at heart; besides, Mia loved him just the way he was, and she would no matter what.

"You're perfect, Mia. How could a guy like me end up with someone so amazing as you?"

She blushed, but giggled again, "Again with the modesty! I think that after our friends leave I'm going to give you lessons on taking credit where it's due. I'm just glad you aren't so humble that you let people walk all over you."

Isaac laughed and gave her another quick kiss. It was amazing how different she was from three years ago when he had been with Jenna. Back then she was still the shy, serene girl who had unknowingly – to the both of them – captured his heart. While she was still just as serene as before, he could see that she wasn't quite the shy girl he'd met five years ago. She seemed much more outgoing and bubbly, and he loved that she'd broken out of her shell for him.

"Don't ever change, Mia."

"For you, Isaac, I won't."

_Whoa,_ he thought, _major déjà vu._

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

A couple days after Piers and the others had arrived, Isaac was on patrol duty over by the west gate. While lazily gazing out in the distance, a speck of colour appeared on the vast, white fields. Squinting his eyes, it appeared to be two figures heading towards town: a tall person with red hair and a shorter person with reddish-brown hair. Knowing immediately who these people were, Isaac rushed down to the gatehouse and waited for them to get closer.

Despite his initial happiness in seeing their figures in the distance, Isaac felt nervous. He'd written to them once or twice, but he still had no idea how to speak to them in person. What if he was too awkward? What if they felt uncomfortable around him? He didn't want them to restrain their feelings for each other, but couldn't help thinking that they might for his sake. Fortunately, his nervous thoughts vanished at the sound of a familiar Mars adept's voice.

"Yo, gatekeeper! I hear you've got a couple of heroes in there! Why don't you send 'em out to come greet us?"

"Garet, you big idiot, there are these things called manners and common courtesy you know!"

Isaac couldn't help a wide grin from spreading across his face, so, taking a deep breath, he walked towards his hometown friends.

"It's funny you should mention the heroes," Isaac called back to them, hoping they were still unaware it was him, "because it seems that you don't really know them too well."

"Hey, who are you to question me about them?!" shouted Garet. "I happen to be Garet of Vale! The Hero of Flames! I was Isaac's right-hand man through that whole adventure!"

"Then it shouldn't surprise you," he paused, hoping to achieve some sort of dramatic effect, "that you're speaking to him right now."

Hearing those words, Garet and Jenna exchanged a surprised look before rushing up to the supposed gatekeeper only to behold Isaac himself. None of them said anything at first. The Mars adepts stared at him with their mouths open, unsure quite what they wanted to say, but obviously wanting to say something.

"Isaac? That's really you! Man, I hardly recognized you! Your hair's not so spiky anymore, and you've got a beard – a _Kraden_ beard!" Garet finally managed to say.

"Ugh, Garet, you're one to talk!" said Jenna, turning angrily towards him. "You've got that nasty lip-carpet you like to call a moustache! If anyone should think about shaving, it's you! I actually like Isaac's beard." Her cheeks turned a bit pink following her last statement.

Isaac ignored her embarrassment and laughed, pulling the two Mars adepts into a hug they were clearly not expecting. Nevertheless, the three old friends embraced, all feelings of anxiety and animosity towards one another vanishing in the moment of their reunion.

Pulling out of their group hug, Isaac smiled to his two friends. "I'm glad you guys made it. Come on, the others are waiting for you! Once Felix and Sheba get here, everyone from the old group will be here."

With that, the three headed towards Imil, conversing all the way about many different things.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Felix and Sheba arrived the day after Garet and Jenna, finally bringing the old group back together. With the all of them reunited, the adepts went to dinner at one of the fancier restaurants in town. Laughter and constant chatter resonated from their table as the group caught up with each other. A photographer had tried to get in when he heard that all the Warriors of Vale would be together again, but Isaac had made sure that two of his soldiers acted as security guards to keep the man out.

"So, Ivan," Sheba jeered, "how are you doing for relationships?" Everyone except Hama and Kraden grinned devilishly and turned to face the slightly stunned twenty-year-old.

"I-uh-I… I guess you could say it's going… well?"

"Ooooh," Jenna and Sheba both pestered him, "well, tell us about her!"

Ivan grumbled something and stuffed a piece of bread in his mouth to avoid speaking about it. Isaac chuckled lightly; same old group, same old habits. Sheba and Jenna had loved to pester the boys about this type of thing during their adventure, and it seemed that since Ivan and Piers were the only ones without girlfriends present they could only bug one of them now, but Piers simply wasn't as fun to annoy, thus leaving only Ivan.

Hama gave a light chuckle, "Oh, don't be like that, Ivan. Samantha is a lovely young woman; you have nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"Ugh, fine I'll tell you about her!" he said when the girls leaned towards him. "I met Sam while I was in Kalay and we just sort of became friends. She's studying psynergy stones at the university. She has blue-green hair and she's a little taller than me. After about a month or so we started dating, and then I brought her to Contigo with me to meet Hama after we'd been dating for just over a year. She didn't come with us here because she went to go visit her family in Tolbi while she's off school. Also, she isn't an adept. There are you happy?!"

Jenna and Sheba smirked at each other. "Oh, we'll be having some fun with this," said Jenna.

"Sol, please kill me now," Ivan groaned. Everyone around the table laughed at the comical scene that was taking place.

"Isaac," said Piers after everyone had finished laughing, "now that everyone is here, I'd like to hear your story, and how you ended up here of all places."

Jenna and Garet each gave the Venus adept an odd look before shrugging and waiting for him to start.

"Well, I suppose I promised to tell you guys once everyone was here. I guess I'll start on the night I left New Vale. It starts when Jenna and I…"

Everyone listened intently as Isaac recounted his lengthy story and wrapped it up with how he'd managed to become a famed military captain in Imil. Jenna suddenly smacked Garet in the back of the head, causing some of them to chuckle.

"Ow, hey, what was that for?!"

"Why can't you get a cool job like Isaac, you lazy bum?!"

"Oh, yeah, because it's my fault that New Vale is in a location where monsters don't generally attack. Geez, Jenna, I like my job. Just because Isaac's dad is my boss doesn't mean he goes easy on me! Sol, I overheated the metal once and my freshly-made sword was too flimsy, so Kyle just snapped the blade off and made me start over."

"Hey, uh, speaking of them, how are my parents, anyway?" Isaac interrupted them.

"Well, your mom's been worried sick since the day you left, but your old man made sure she didn't send a search party after you," said Garet.

"She's been getting better since you started writing to her, but it's just in her nature to be worried," added Jenna.

"Poor Dora, she always was a worrywart; such a stubborn old gal, though. I'm sure Kyle got an earful for stopping her from sending people after you," Kraden mused.

"Oh, I suppose I should've gone to visit. It would've been easy, too, since I have the Teleport Lapis," said Isaac, face dropping in guilt. He felt Mia rub her hand on his back to comfort him.

"So that's where that went," said Felix, who had been relatively quiet compared to his companions. "I was looking for it, but all I have is the Lash Pebble."

"Yeah, you left most of the psynergy relics at the sanctum, so I made sure to take what I could when I was leaving. You can have it back if you'd like; I haven't had to use it for anything, really."

"Thanks, Isaac," Felix replied, reaching across the table to take the stone from Isaac.

"I'd like to make a toast," said Piers, raising his glass; the others nodded and raised theirs as well, "to camaraderie. No matter how far apart we are, we will always have each other. Friends through thick and thin are what we are now, and what we always shall be."

"Well said," said Kraden as they all clinked glasses and sipped their drinks.

"Yo, Ivan," whispered Garet, "what's camaraderie?"

"Ugh," groaned Jenna, smacking Garet over the head again, "all brawn and no brain, some boyfriend I've got."

The friends continued talking and laughing until the night wore on. Eventually they all made their way to Isaac's to see how he'd been living for the past few years.

"Pretty nifty place you got here, buddy," said Garet. "How's it manage to stay so warm in this cold weather? More importantly, how do you stand all this cold weather?"

Isaac shrugged and smirked at the Mars adept, "I think the wood they used has some insulating properties. And we've been over this before, Garet, I can actually handle cold weather, unlike you and Jenna; not to mention the fact that I've been living here for two years, so I'm pretty accustomed to it, anyway."

"Meh, I can handle it if we're just visiting, but I don't think I could get used to living in a place like this."

The two old friends sat at the kitchen table while Mia gave the rest of them a tour of the house. It had been such a long time since Isaac had spoken to or even seen Garet, and yet he didn't know what to say now.

"So… how've you been, man?" he started. "Have you moved out yet?"

"Yeah, but my cruddy place is nowhere near as nice or big as yours. Jenna doesn't seem to mind, but I'm sure she'll be comparing your house to mine as soon as we get back. Don't tell her I told you this, but she tries to compare me to you a lot. Don't get me wrong, she's definitely over you, but she seems to think that you were more self-sufficient. Seeing how successful you've become, well, it's definitely going to end in more nagging for me."

Isaac frowned at that. Jenna had no reason to compare the two of them because, in truth, they weren't actually that similar. He and Garet had been opposites since they were kids, but that had been why they always got along so well. Comparing them didn't really make sense, because, being opposite from each other, the pros and cons would be different depending on what the chooser was looking for.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Garet. Jenna seems hard to please, but you know as well as I do that that's just how she's always been. She probably likes your place just fine."

"If you say so. Hey, while I have you without the chicks around, how are things with you and Mia. I thought it was pretty funny when you were saying you two are like the storybook couple around here."

"Heh, yeah, well, things are going really well for us. I wasn't joking when I said that before, either. Earning the 'saviour' status in Imil, and then dating the only other saviour in town will make your fame shoot way up whether you want it or not. I wasn't trying to become famous here, but I guess that's what fate had in store for me."

"Man, some guys just have all the luck, eh?"

Isaac sighed and shook his head but smiled all the while. "Same old Garet only hears what he wants to hear and ignores the rest."

Garet gave him a big toothy grin, "C'mon, man, you know me well enough to know that I have selective hearing. Besides, you may not like all the glory, but I'd be living it up if I was in your position."

"Yeah, but with all that glory comes the envy of a lot of other townsfolk. Even just seeing Mia and I walk down the street makes people huddle and whisper about us. It's a little annoying when people treat you like some sort of unapproachable entity."

Garet laughed, "Well, I guess this just proves further how opposite we are from each other. You hate the envious attention you get, but I would relish it."

Isaac grinned and tried to change the subject, "I'm glad you and Jenna came. I was afraid that I'd been too distant from you guys, but I suppose it's like Piers said: Friends through thick and thin are what we are now, and what we always shall be."

The two men stayed silent after that, listening to the footsteps of their companions upstairs. It wasn't long before the others started to descend the stairs.

"And that's pretty much it," sounded Mia's voice from the stairway.

"Wow, how'd you manage to afford a house like this, Isaac?" Sheba asked while she gazed around the room.

The house really wasn't anything to brag about, but Isaac figured that they were in awe because it was rather large for its sole resident. He shrugged before responding to her, "It wasn't all that expensive. I saved most of my money from the Golden Sun adventure, so I used a portion of that to pay for it. I just liked it because it felt homey."

"I wish I'd thought of that," muttered Ivan.

Hama chuckled in response to her brother's statement, "Ivan, you're the last one who should be worrying about money problems. In case you forgot, Hammet and Layana are the lord and lady of Kalay, so I'm sure you'll have enough money for the rest of your days."

The rest of them snickered before Kraden spoke up, "Isaac, Mia, I'd like to thank you for a lovely evening. I suppose these old bones are getting a bit weary with age, so I'll just be off to bed. Good night, everyone!"

They all said good night to the scholar as he left the house and headed off for his temporary home. Hama left shortly after Kraden, leaving the original eight adepts to sit cozily around the fireplace. Suddenly, as if planned, all seventy-two djinn appeared and started bouncing around with each other. Not that they couldn't go see each other whenever they felt like it, but it wasn't often that all of their Masters got together in person.

"So, Isaac," said Piers, "what have you and Mia got planned for tomorrow?"

"Well, I've got guard duty in the afternoon, so you guys could come with me if you want. Mia's got healing duty at the same time, but either way you could see what either of us is up to, as long as it doesn't disrupt anyone around."

"I'm down to see what got you so famous, Mr. Saviour," teased Garet.

"Sounds interesting," added Ivan.

"We'll stay at the sanctum with you, Mia," said Sheba and Jenna. "It must be pretty boring staying there all day; besides, we need some girl time."

Mia smiled to them, happy to spend some time with people her age (not that there was anything wrong with Justin or Megan).

"Well, Piers, I suppose that leaves you and I," Felix said softly, brushing a couple djinn off his lap.

"Indeed it does. Perhaps we could go exploring for a bit, maybe sail around the nearby area. I assume it's been a while since you were last on a ship."

"If you guys decide to go exploring, be careful about heading south," warned Isaac. "You four," he said indicating to Jenna, Garet, Felix, and Sheba, "were lucky to avoid it on your way up, but there's a territory war going on between the trolls and maulers right now. They've been pretty aggressive, so most travellers are warned to travel closer to the coastline if they can."

"Relax, Isaac," said Piers coolly, "you should know as well as anyone here that we're capable of handling a few monsters. Besides, we both have healing abilities, so I believe we'll be safe for a little exploration, wouldn't you agree, Felix?"

Felix simply smiled and gave a single nod to Piers. It seemed that he was still the strong, silent type even after spending the past three years with the talkative Sheba. _Opposites attract, I guess. Actually, Mia and I are pretty similar, so I guess that saying only works for certain situations._

"Just be careful, you two," Mia said calmly, "I'd hate to have one of you getting dragged into the sanctum by the other. I've had enough close encounters with Isaac to last me a lifetime of near-deaths from any of you."

"Oh, oh, tell us about some of those experiences, Mia!" Sheba said eagerly. "I don't want to hear about the grossest one, though. Tell us about the most bizarre near-death experience Isaac's ever had."

"Hmm," she pondered before looking over at Isaac and smirking, "well, this one time he came into the sanctum covered in needles. He looked like a cactus!" she giggled. "When I asked him what happened, he said that he'd gone to scout the shoreline when a group of urchins attacked him. I had to get a bunch of the needles out of him before he collapsed to the ground, or he would have punctured himself to death. Turns out the needles were poisoned, so I had to make quick work of getting that out of his system. It wasn't a terrible scare, but he certainly would have died if he hadn't gotten to me within a few hours of his attack."

The adepts laughed as they tried to picture a needle-covered Isaac staggering into the sanctum while trying to stand upright. The house was like a small party with all the djinn bouncing and floating around. Eventually, though, everyone started to get sleepy, especially the four that had been travelling recently to reach Imil. After calling their djinn back to them and saying good night, the other adepts left so that only Isaac and Mia still remained.

Once they were gone, Mia instantly slumped down on the couch and breathed out heavily. "I love our friends and all, but I am exhausted!"

Isaac smiled and picked her up, carrying her to his bed. She giggled as she always did when he carried her, and he lightly placed her on the bed before she pulled him into a slow, loving kiss.

"At least we can still get a little bit of alone time," he whispered to her. She kissed him once more before they got into their nightclothes and slipped into bed.

One thing that Isaac always wondered was if the townspeople knew that Mia often stayed overnight at his house. While she didn't technically live there, it would still be frowned upon for her to be staying there since they weren't married. The onlookers had no way of knowing if she was sleeping in another bed or not, and of course she wasn't, so the couple would be subject to slanderous gossip from everyone in town if they ever found out. Still, he thought to himself, Mia didn't seem to care what the villagers thought anymore as long as she had him. Why was she always so levelheaded about these things? He could never bring himself to look past other people's opinions, yet he had always been the one to downplay any compliments. Holding Mia's warm, slender body against his, he tried to channel her logic into him. _If she can look past the gossip, then so can I. I'm sure most of it's fake, anyway, so it's illogical for me to buy into all of this._ He smiled and kissed the back of Mia's head before closing his eyes and relaxing, allowing his thoughts to fade.

* * *

Regarding what I said about the chapter being completely rewritten, it was originally about the battle against the lizard warriors. It was a huge elaborate battle scene with Justin almost dying towards the end and everything, but then it started turning super dark and kinda creepy… I figured that this wasn't the right story to do all of that for so I'm thinking I might even do something like an appendix, but it's only an idea right now.

Sorry about the lack of variety for chapter endings, but I'm not sure how to end these ones other than having them go to bed lol. Not as much fluff, but it's a bit harder to write fluff now that they're actually together. You would think it would be the opposite, but really it's hard to come up with stuff other than casual kisses and handholding and all that couple-y stuff. I guess my way of explaining it would be that when they weren't together, I could write about all the pent up emotions and urges that they had. If this were rated M there'd probably be quite a bit more sexual tension, but it's not M, so there isn't :P.

Also, on the note of sexual tension and M ratings, when I say all the stuff about them going to bed together, in my mind they're just spooning and going to sleep, but you may imagine what you will what they're doing. It makes sense since they're twenty-two years old cuddling in bed, but I'm keeping it T-rated. I'm also keeping in mind that they live in an era much older than the one we live in, so there's all the things like blasphemy about sex before marriage and that sort of stuff.

Oh, and as a final note, Samantha (Ivan's girlfriend) is OC. There's no indication of any sort of canon relationship with Ivan and anyone, so I made her up. I'm terrible at making OCs, however, so I had to present it in a way that a crappy description made sense, hence the rushed description by Ivan. She probably won't make an appearance unless I decide to add her in somewhere around the end or if I do make those appendices.

Anyway, please review and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	14. Love and Pain

How's it going, everybody? Not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed in myself for the slow pace of the last few chapters, but let it be known that this is intentional. There's something big coming up soon (which is actually a big theme of this chapter), but I didn't want it to happen instantly: Isaac and Mia start dating and then next chapter have the big event happen. Unfortunately, this means that there are a few chapters around now that might seem filler-ish; however, I am including little, important plot-related elements in each chapter, so they aren't _completely_ filler. Some of these things probably won't seem like anything when you read the chapters, but they will have some importance later on (cue evil laugh as people go back to nitpick every little thing in each chapter).

Thanks for reviewing!  
**Hanabro: **The update rate is due to this rare condition I have called OnceIStartWritingSomethingIC an'tStopUntilACompleteDraftIsFi nishedBecauseIDon'tWantToForgetAnyIdeasIHaveIf IStopInTheMiddle-osis (the formatting wouldn't let me write that all as one word, but it is). While it only seems to affect my fanfic writing (because essays are too boring), school may have a negative effect on the updates.  
**AnriMia24: **And the fluff will continue! I've also made sure that any sex (because Matthew has to be conceived somehow :P) will be extremely minimal. In fact, I already know how I'm going to have that scene play out, so any discomfort for you will only be from knowing that he slept with Jenna instead of Mia.

So, without further rambling, let the chapter begin!

Disclaimer: The fanfic writer GengaJupite does not, and will never, own Golden Sun _*The More You Know*_

* * *

Isaac sat in the west watchtower, gazing out at the brutal battle that had broken out between the trolls and maulers. Waves of snow flew up every few seconds, and the pure white fields were tainted with red in that one region. Sitting beside him, watching the battle, were Garet, Ivan, and Piers. They had been in Imil for about ten days, and were getting used to the sights and scenery. Isaac smiled to himself, knowing that the Luna Celebration would begin in a couple days, and that his friends knew nothing about it.

"Piers, wanna make a wager?" asked Garet.

"Really, Garet?" Ivan snickered, "After you lost three hundred coins to me already, you still want to bet on the battles?"

"Shut it, airhead!" Garet snapped back at him. "I'm done betting with you! You're just a little cheat. Why, if I'd realized you could predict which side would win, I would never have started betting against you!"

Isaac chuckled a bit while Piers just shook his head. "It seems unwise, Garet," said the Lemurian. "You haven't really had much luck while you've been here. I don't want to be the reason that Jenna attacks you for losing all your money."

"Ah, you worry too much, Piers. Besides, Jenna hits me all the time, what's the worst she could do?"

"Even that statement in itself is flawed enough to further dissuade me from gambling with you," sighed Piers, turning from Garet to look out towards the battlefield. Isaac and Ivan laughed while Garet grumbled something about having a healthy relationship.

"So, Ivan," said Isaac after a few moments of silence, "where are you planning to settle down? I know you were gonna stay in Contigo with Hama, but now you've got Sam, so does that change things?"

"I, uh, I dunno," he stuttered, "I didn't really think about it much. I'm only twenty, so I think it's a bit early for me to think about settling down anywhere. I also don't wanna choose Kalay only because I wanna stay with Sam; I mean what if something happens? Then I'd be stuck there seeing her every day. I think I just have to see how serious this relationship is."

"Or," Garet started mischievously, "you could pull an Isaac and leave it all behind if that ever happened. He was only twenty when he left. Who knows? Maybe you could find your Mia."

"Why is it that I always come in when Garet has something stupid or insensitive to say?" sounded a voice from behind them. The four men turned around to see Jenna climb up the ladder and stand beside the opening with her hands on her hips, "Or is it because he only says stupid, insensitive things?"

"Heh, hey, Jenna, what're you doing up here?" Garet asked sheepishly, trying to change the subject.

She gave him a less-than-satisfied look, but went along with it anyway, "Well, you've spent a lot of your days up here with Isaac, and I was hoping we could go do something together today."

Garet sighed in relief, thankful that she hadn't come up to yell at him for something like she often did, "Oh, uh, sure. What did you have in mind?"

She shrugged before walking up to him. Gently grabbing his hand, she smiled warmly and led him towards the ladder and descended. Before he followed after her, Garet gave the guys a quick thumbs-up. Turning back towards the battlefield, the remaining adepts were silent for a bit.

"I wonder how they manage," Piers said thoughtfully. It seemed that he was thinking out loud, rather than actually asking the others.

"It is rather odd how their relationship works," Ivan agreed. "I guess you and Jenna were never like that, were you, Isaac?"

"Nah," Isaac shook his head, "Jenna and I got along great when we were together. Maybe it's hard to imagine for you guys, but I think they get along really well. Yeah, they argue and bicker all the time, but they always did even when we were growing up. The fact that that hasn't changed tells me that Garet still feels strongly for her, and I'm guessing she must feel the same way about him. You saw the way she just led him out of here: she seemed angry at first, but she looked at him so lovingly when she took his hand."

"My, my, Isaac, you certainly have become the relationship-observing connoisseur, haven't you?" said Piers. "I suppose Ivan and I are still beginners in the world of love and relationships."

Isaac grinned slightly, thinking it humourous to be known as a 'relationship-observing connoisseur'. A question came to his mind following Piers' statement, "What's your love life been like lately, Piers?"

"Me? Well, I haven't really been searching, to be quite honest. I figure that I'd have to settle down before I decide to find someone to share my life with. I'm still an adventurer at heart, so love is not something I'm ready for quite yet."

"You know, Piers," said Ivan, "you don't have to be searching for someone to end up in a relationship. Sometimes they'll find you, or maybe you'd meet even under the most unlikely of situations. I met Sam in a funny way. She wasn't looking where she was going, so she bumped into me with a tray full of psynergy stones she was studying. After apologizing, she went to pick them up only to realize they'd disappeared because I'd accidentally absorbed their power. After that, we somehow started seeing each other a lot more."

Isaac and Piers chuckled a bit, trying to piece together how two accidents could spark a relationship. Realizing his shift was over, Isaac stood up and stretched a bit before speaking. "Thanks for sitting through that shift with me, guys. We should go see what the others are up to. I'm sure Sheba's gonna want to bug you some more, Ivan."

The Jupiter adept shrugged, and the three of them left the watchtower, heading towards the sanctum to go see if some of the others were there with Mia.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

One month after they'd arrived, the adepts decided that they'd spent an appropriate amount of time seeing each other. Though they were sad to depart, each of them had to get back to their everyday lives. The final night before everyone left, Isaac and Garet journeyed to the cave behind the frozen waterfall. After the small party that Mia and Sheba had put together, the two wanted to clear their heads and chat for a bit before they would be separated again.

"Man, I'm really gonna miss it here; cold and everything," said Garet, sighing as Fever appeared to play around in her old home.

"Yeah, you guys have been here for quite a while now. It'll be strange once you're all on your separate ways," said Isaac, allowing Ground to chase after the Mars djinni.

"Heh, I guess it'll be back to work when I get home. I don't really even know why we're making weapons in New Vale. It's not like there's a lot of conflict there; not that I'm complaining. As long as I get paid, I'm happy with whatever."

"Yeah, but don't you remember? Jenna would prefer if you had a 'cool job' like me."

"Meh, she complains, but honestly I don't think it matters to her what I do, as long as it doesn't embarrass her. Not like a blacksmith and a baker are an embarrassing couple, so I think I'm all good."

Pausing, the two adepts watched their djinn fly around the cave. After what seemed like a lengthy silence, Garet spoke up.

"So, you and Mia are getting pretty serious, eh?"

"I guess you could say that," Isaac replied flatly, thinking there couldn't be any harm in Garet's question.

"So when are you gonna pop the question?"

Clearly Isaac hadn't been expecting the Mars adept to say that. Gasping slightly, he caught his breath before responding, "W-where did that come from?"

"Ah, I dunno, man, but we, at least I, can see just how devoted you are to each other. I know I'm not the brightest guy, but I think there's a bigger picture here that some of the others might be missing. I _was_ your best friend for twenty years, Isaac."

Isaac smiled and clapped his hand on his friend's shoulder, "You still are, buddy. Mia doesn't count anymore 'cause she's my girlfriend. Honestly, you're a little brighter than you give yourself credit for; I have been thinking a lot about asking her, it's just a matter of how and when. Just thinking of doing it terrifies me."

"Yeah, it's scary, but you know she'll say yes. I can't really imagine her turning you down."

"That's the thing, though; she has every reason to turn me down. It won't affect our relationship, but I'm afraid that it's too soon. Two years isn't really a long time to date someone before asking for her hand in marriage. I'd hate to put her under that kind of pressure."

It seemed that Garet was full of surprises that night, for what he did next surprised Isaac yet again. After pouring his heart out to his closest friend, the last thing Isaac expected was for Garet to start laughing. He was about to snap at him before Garet said something.

"S-sorry, Isaac, I d-didn't mean to seem rude. I'm actually not laughing at you, but _with _you. It's just kinda funny that we aren't as different as everyone thinks we are. After hearing all your troubles, I thought it was funny that we're in almost the exact same boat."

"Really? You mean that you want to propose to Jenna? I knew you two were really into each other, but I didn't think you were on that level yet."

"We may not express our feelings the same way as you and Mia, but I'm certain that she's the one for me, man. Only problem is that I'm afraid she'll flip out at me if I ask her too soon. I'm used to her yelling at me and stuff, but it's like you said: it'd be unfair to put that kind of pressure on her right now."

The two men paused their conversation again, uncertain of what to say next. Isaac became lost in thought, trying to figure out what level his and Mia's relationship was on. It would be imperative that he made sure to ask her at the right time because there was really only one shot at doing this sort of thing. If he asked too soon then it would put unfair pressure on her, but if he waited too long she may think he didn't want to get married. These thoughts of timing and how he really felt racked his brain until Garet spoke again, breaking the silence in the cave.

"It's kinda funny, actually. Your dad likes hearing about my life, so I've had similar conversations with him. He's really great at giving advice, but sometimes the things he tells me are too cryptic to understand."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. He can either be really straightforward or unsettlingly vague. What did he tell you that was so confusing?"

Doing an impressively accurate imitation of Kyle's voice and manner of speech, Garet recited, "Well, Garet, it seems to me that you are experiencing one of those difficult obstacles in life that only you can take control over. Some people will tell you to do it one way, and others another, but in the end it falls to you to make the toughest decision. Those who are willing to risk losing what they have for something better are the ones who determine their own fate."

"Huh," replied Isaac, "so I guess he couldn't tell you what to do because he's expecting you to decide for yourself."

"Arg, I know, but that doesn't really help me at all. How long are you planning to wait, Isaac?"

Truth be told, Isaac had no idea what he was going to do. Hearing his father's words through Garet only left him with more questions than answers. Shrugging, he tried his best to form a suitable response.

"I… I honestly don't know. I'm so afraid of screwing up what I have right now. I love Mia more than I've ever loved anyone before, and it's for that reason that I can't risk complicating what we have right now. I can't risk messing up what we have to try to take the next step in lieu of keeping our already-perfect relationship. I'm not even sure that I'm ready for marriage yet!"

Garet paused, apparently taking in all of Isaac's words carefully and thoughtfully. After a moment, he responded, "I see what you're saying, and I totally agree. I think that I'll wait at least a couple years before I decide to go for it. Just like what you were saying about Mia, Jenna's my everything, and I'd be damned if I knew that I was the reason for messing things up."

The two friends clasped each other's hand in agreement that they would wait before deciding to move on with either of their relationships. Changing the subject of their conversation, they stayed in the cave with their djinn until a voice came from the mouth of the cave.

"There you two are!" sounded Jenna's voice. The men quickly turned around to see Jenna and Mia carefully sliding in on the icy pathway.

"You've been gone for quite some time," said Mia, "everyone's gone off to bed for the night."

"I guess they wanted to be well rested for the journey tomorrow," said Garet.

"Sorry for troubling you," said Isaac. "We just needed to get some fresh air."

"And you picked a stuffy little cave?" questioned Jenna. "Not the best place you could've picked. It was probably your idea, wasn't it, Garet?"

"Aw, don't be like that, Jen," he said, wrapping his large arm around her much smaller body, "Isaac and I wanted to have a man-to-man conversation between just the two of us before we left. We have no idea when we'll see each other again, but I'm sure it'll be within at least a few years." Garet inconspicuously winked to the Venus adept, confirming that he was going to act on his plan.

"Well, we should head in now, anyways," said Mia, "I wouldn't want any of you to catch a cold out here; especially since you two," indicating to the Mars adepts, "have a long journey ahead of you." Taking Isaac's hand, she led them out towards the sanctum.

Saving the farewells for tomorrow, the four adepts simply said goodnight before going their separate ways. Isaac and Mia stood in front of the sanctum for a bit as they watched their friends head towards their temporary home for the last time.

"It'll seem lonely here without them, won't it?" Mia asked melancholically, leaning her head on Isaac's shoulder.

"Yeah, but I'm glad we got to see them all," he replied, tightening his hold around her waist. "We're fortunate that they were able to stay so long."

Saying nothing, Mia turned to face Isaac and pulled him into a hug. He loved the way she seemed to glow in the moonlight. Isaac could only think of his conversation with Garet while he held Mia close to him. He really did love the beautiful Mercury adept in every way and he wanted nothing more than to tie the knot with her. His dream to become a father and have a family was no longer some vague aspiration, but something he wanted only to experience with Mia. He'd often imagined her as a mother, lovingly holding their child as they all sat around a fire in his home. Allowing the thought to fill him with warmth he released Mia so he could look her in the eye.

"Mia, I know you said you'd rather I show you how I feel than tell you, but I need to verbalize it with you because I've never said it to anyone before, not even Jenna. I love you, Mia; you're everything to me. Whether or not our friends had come to visit, I'd have been just as glad to spend the entire month with only you." He finished his affectionate statement by giving her a light kiss on the lips.

She stared back up at him, a look of pure joy etched across her face. Pulling him back into another hug she softly replied in his ear, "I love you too, Isaac. I can't even begin to imagine what my life would have been like now had I not found you on that day."

Pulling out of their hug she gave him a sheepish smile and blushed a little bit, "I don't think I ever actually told you, but I had a crush on you during our adventure and while we were rebuilding New Vale. I was always trying to be careful not to let you or the others notice, but it got much harder during that last week before we all left."

Isaac smiled and let out a slight, breathy chuckle. "Oh, Mia, you don't know how I've wished that I hadn't been so concentrated on Jenna during our adventure. At the time she just seemed like the right person to think about; she was the damsel in distress and I was the brave hero. I never faltered from those thoughts, but I wish I had because I would've seen the beautiful girl travelling with me for all that time. Truthfully, I was a bit infatuated with you while I was dating Jenna, but it was never anything more than that. Still, if I could feel for you even while I was with my 'damsel' that proves to me that you were always bound to be my true love."

Gazing into each other's eyes, the two lovers said nothing. Words couldn't describe this perfect moment, and Isaac was glad for everything that had led up to it. Reacquainting with Garet had allowed him to fully realize his feelings for Mia, and he figured it was only a matter of time before he, like Garet, would act on his plan to propose to the woman he loved. Smiling inwardly as well as outwardly, Isaac decided that he would spend as much time as he could on thinking of a perfect way to propose to Mia. Would it be elaborate? Simple? Public? Private? It had to be some way that Mia would never forget.

With somewhat of a goal in mind, Isaac and Mia kissed goodnight before she entered the sanctum and he left for his house. Passing by the rental homes, Isaac stopped in front of the one where Jenna, Garet, Ivan, and Hama were staying.

"_Did you need something, Isaac?" _asked a voice inside his head. Looking around, Isaac realized that it was just Hama speaking to his mind from her room.

"_No, thank you, Master Hama," _he responded mentally, _"I was going to thank Garet for our conversation tonight, but I figured it would be best if I waited until tomorrow."_

"_That would be wise, as he is already asleep. I am glad that the two of you, and Jenna, have been able to restore your friendship. I wish you both luck on your proposals."_

At first, Isaac was surprised to hear her say that, but realized that she'd just been inside his head, so his conversation with Garet would have been easy for her to see. Thanking her and saying goodnight, Isaac continued on his way towards his house. Tucking in for bed, he allowed his thoughts of marriage and family to calm his body into a comfortable sleep.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The next morning, Isaac and Mia said their farewells to their friends. Piers, Ivan, Hama, and Kraden were the first to depart.

"Second farewell. Seems kinda strange, doesn't it, Isaac?" said Ivan.

"A little, but I'm hoping it won't be two years before we can see all of you guys again. Mia and I still want to meet Sam."

"Hehe, I'll let her know when you guys come to Kalay. I'll be glad to see her when I go back there with Kraden."

"Huh, you two are going to Kalay? How is Piers gonna get you there? It's in the middle of Angara."

"Actually, Isaac," said Piers, walking down the gangplank to load some more boxes onto his ship, "as Mia already pointed out, the land has been changing ever since the Golden Sun event. Though some places have remained relatively unaffected, Angara and Gondowan have actually split apart, leaving the Karagol Sea open to the ocean. Since Kalay was right on the edge of the Karagol, I'll be able to get them home with ease."

"Well, that certainly makes things more convenient," said Mia. "Make sure to write to us when you're there! I still want to stay in touch with everyone."

"Don't you worry, Mia, we'll be sure to write to you as often as we can," said Ivan, earning nods from everyone with him.

"Farewell, my friends," said Kraden, slowly making his way up the gangplank. "I hope that this is not the last I see of you before my time in this world is over."

Finishing their goodbyes, the four of them boarded Piers' ship and sailed away, off towards their own destinations.

Later in the morning, Garet, Jenna, Sheba, and Felix decided to get going before too much daylight was wasted.

"Thanks again for having us, guys," said Garet, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"We'll miss you! Come back to New Vale sometime, okay?" said Jenna, who was still not the greatest at dealing with farewells.

"And Lalivero! We'd be happy to see you guys there, right Felix?" piped in Sheba.

"Yeah, you'll always be welcome in our home," Felix agreed.

Isaac first went up to Garet, wanting to speak to him once more before they left. Mia made sure the other three knew to travel by the coastline so they could avoid the main battlefield of the trolls and maulers.

"Hey, Garet, thanks for yesterday; that conversation really helped me set my priorities in order."

"Oh, yeah, no problem, buddy. I'll always have your back on stuff like that. Make sure you tell me when it happens," he leaned in so he could say something a little more quietly, "after all, you're gonna need a best man."

Laughing, the brotherly friends embraced and said their farewells to the others. Apparently, Felix had agreed that he and Sheba would travel with Garet and Jenna to Bilibin before teleporting off to Lalivero. Mia thought of it as a friendly gesture, but everyone else knew it was because Felix wanted to keep an eye on Garet to make sure he didn't 'try anything funny' as he always said. Jenna groaned at the fact that her brother was still overprotective of her despite that he didn't even live in New Vale.

After everyone had left, Isaac and Mia turned to head back into the gatehouse. As they were about to enter Mia suddenly tackled Isaac into the snowbank beside the entrance. Isaac was completely stunned, but Mia laughed as he looked at her in bewilderment.

"Whoa, Mia, what are you doing?!"

"Heehee, loosen up, Isaac! We finally get a chance to be alone together, and I wanted to have some fun since we both have the day off!"

Still unsure of what was going on, Isaac laughed anyway, not completely sure what caused Mia's sudden change in mood. Pretending to pull her in for a kiss, he quickly rolled over so that she was now the one lying with her back in the snow. The two of them laughed wholeheartedly as they rolled around carelessly in the snow. Some of Isaac's soldiers on the wall looked down at them in complete confusion, but he could care less what they thought. Mia never ceased to surprise him. Only a while ago she had been worried about their friends travelling the safest route home, and now she was playing in the snow, completely carefree. This spontaneity was probably one of Isaac's favourite things about her. They continued to play around like children for a long time, neither of them wanting to worry about anything at all.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"_Papa, what's snow like?" asked Tyrell._

_Garet gave him a confused look, but realized that the active volcano, Mt. Aleph, made it impossible for snow to fall in the region where they lived._

"_Well, it's this nasty, cold, white stuff that gets you all wet and freezing."_

"_That doesn't sound right, Uncle Garet," said Karis. "My mommy and daddy say that snow is white and fluffy and fun to play with! I wanna play with snow!"_

"_Heh, Sam and Ivan would say that. Karis, your dad is a Jupiter adept, so he likes cold temperatures. Your mom isn't an adept so I guess maybe she just likes snow; can't imagine why anyone would, though."_

"_Dada," said Matthew, "will you ever take me to Imil? I wanna see snow, too! You like it, so I think I will too."_

_Isaac chuckled at his son's logic; however, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bring his son to Imil. If he went there, he'd end up seeing Mia, and while he wanted nothing more than to see her again, he knew it would cause him too much pain._

"_Sure, Matthew, I'll take you somewhere where we can see snow, but maybe not Imil. There are lots of other places with snow."_

_Before Matthew could ask why they couldn't go to Imil specifically, Karis spoke up with another question, "Uncle Isaac, does Miss Mia have any kids?"_

_Isaac's face instantly dropped at that question. He knew all too well that she did, but it was heartbreaking to face that reality. He couldn't reveal to them why this hurt him so badly, but it was much too difficult to hide his sadness from coming through. He could feel his eyes water at the thought._

"_You okay, Isaac?" asked Garet. It was strange how not even Garet knew something about his best friend's dark past._

"_Y-yeah, sorry," he managed to stutter. Looking back up at the curious faces, he took a deep breath before answering Karis's question, "Yes, Karis, Mia has two children. She just had a son named Rief a few months back and… and… she has a d-daughter… named N-Nowell. She's the same age as all of you…" The pain that he felt was too great, and Isaac forced himself to look away so that the kids couldn't see the tears roll down his cheek._

_Knowing that something was wrong, Garet stood up to go over to his distraught friend. "Uh, kids, let's take a quick break for now," he said. "You can play with the djinn. I'm sure they'll help you with your psynergy."_

"_YAY!" screamed Tyrell. The toddlers eagerly hopped off the couch to go play in the other room with the djinn._

_After they were gone, Garet turned back towards Isaac. "This is some really serious stuff we're getting into. Something you wanna get off your chest, Isaac?"_

_Sniffling, Isaac turned to face his companion. Garet had an extremely worried look on his face, the same look he'd had the day after Jenna broke up with him. Knowing that Garet was truly concerned, Isaac managed to speak, "Sorry to freak you out there, Garet. I had no idea they would want to know about Mia's kids."_

"_Yeah, but that doesn't seem to be the problem. I mean I know that Mia has two kids, but that doesn't upset me. I also know that Jenna has a kid, but that also doesn't upset me either. What's got you so worked up?"_

"_I'm sorry, Garet, but I can't bring myself to talk about it right now. It… It's actually part of this story, though; a part that I've never told anyone. The only ones that know about it are Mia and I. I promise that this is the only part you've never heard of."_

"_Look, Isaac, I'm not upset that you didn't tell me. I'm more upset that you didn't tell anyone at all, because obviously it's been causing you a lot of pain. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is probably the main cause of all your pain. Whatever it is, you need to tell someone. It doesn't have to be me, but you know that I'm here to support you whenever you need, so don't be a stranger."_

_Isaac gave him a shaky smile, trying to compose himself before his concerned friend. How could he possibly understand, though? He wanted to tell Garet all about it, but it may even affect his sturdy head. Some things are better left untold, but Garet had cornered him. This, on top of the fact that Mia was no longer with him, was most definitely the reason for his depression._

"_Thanks, Garet. I'll try to help you understand what's going on."_

"_No problem. I'll be in the kitchen while you get everything back in order. Don't think about whatever this thing is until we actually get to that point in the story. I'll let you call everyone back in when you're ready." With that, Garet went into the kitchen, leaving Isaac alone to compose himself._

I've been holding this back for too long,_ Isaac thought to himself,_ and it's time someone knew the truth.

* * *

Yay, twist/cliffhanger! Unfortunately for anyone reading this, the revealing of Isaac's true pain won't be happening in the next one or two chapters :). You may want to kill me, but then you'll never know the cause for all these problems (cue another evil laugh).

Honestly, this cliffhanger thing was spur-of-the-moment, but I realized I could make it a huge plot point. I won't be speaking about it much more, so any questions regarding what it is or entails will be promptly ignored :D. Feel free to guess what you think it may be in your reviews, but don't expect me to tell you if you're right or wrong.

As an extra note, contrary to what you've been seeing in the past few chapters, Isaac and Mia usually sleep in their own separate homes, so hopefully that didn't confuse anyone in this chapter when they didn't both head into the sanctum or to Isaac's house.

Anyway, I liked how this chapter turned out. The lighthearted marriage theme throughout the bulk of the story (which you're probably all thinking wtf about since my only implied married couple is with Ivan and Sam) had the fluff that I wanted, and the mysterious ending makes me happy for whatever reason :P.

R&R and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_

PS: As a fun fact, this is the first chapter in which Tyrell and Karis have stopped holding hands since the beginning of the story. :P


	15. Elation

School, why must you exist?! I have Thursdays and Fridays off, so I'm going to say that the bulk of my writing will get done on those days. Hopefully that means you can expect a new chapter every Sunday or Monday, but that's just what I'm hoping will happen assuming I don't spend all of my four-day weekends doing schoolwork (I pray that I'll never be that swamped, since I'm only taking three courses).

On a much more positive note, I recently got back into Kingdom Hearts, and I honestly can't even give a good reason as to why I ever unacquainted myself with the brilliantly beautiful series. I'm hoping that I can write a fic for that in the future, but I guess I've gotta re-immerse myself in the KH universe before then. If any of you are into KH, then know that I'm a complete SoraxKairi nerd. It's also implied (pretty heavily, if I may add) that they'll be a canon relationship, anyway, so all the better for me :). Again, life, why have you turned me into this hopeless romantic? Ah, well, at least it makes gaming even more enjoyable!

Thanks to **Mr0cheese** and **AnriMia24** for reviewing!

Without further ado, I present to you chapter fifteen.

Disclaimer: I am lying when I don't make the false claim that I do not have the rights to not own that which is possibly or probably not not the game Golden Sun.

* * *

_Hey, man,_

_It's been a while, hasn't it? I can't believe it's already been five years since the whole crew got together back in Imil. I guess my goal of asking Jenna to marry me within a few years got… postponed, y'know? Every time I was about to do it, I'd panic and drop the thought. I guess I don't really deserve to marry her until I'm brave enough to propose… Anyway, how's your luck with Mia? I haven't heard anything about it from you, so I'm assuming you haven't done it yet either. Funny how the bravest knights in all of Weyard are too afraid to ask their girlfriends to marry them. Ah, well, I suppose I'll grow the balls for it eventually. I don't really know what else to say now, so write back when you get the chance._

_Garet_

The wintry sun was setting over Imil, causing a light orange glow to flow in through the window of Isaac's office. Having finished his single morning shift much earlier, the Venus adept had taken the rest of the day to train Justin, who was now a junior tactician for the militia, much to Mia's dismay. With the end of the day creeping up on him, Isaac smirked as he read the final sentence of Garet's letter. Ever the blunt one, even after all these years.

It was strange to think it had been five whole years since everyone had gotten together. He certainly didn't feel like he was twenty-seven, and he honestly didn't much look it either. Every morning, Isaac would wake up and see his reflection in a mirror, only to stop and wonder why he looked only twenty years old. At first, he thought that perhaps Father Time had taken an interest in him, but it also seemed as though Mia was experiencing the exact same phenomenon, not that she'd said much about it. While he initially believed that he was only imagining that he wasn't aging very quickly, it became apparent that Justin and Megan, now twenty and nineteen respectively, had legitimately 'caught up' to them in the maturation of their appearances.

In fact, even when he and Mia had gone to visit New Vale and Kalay last year, the familiar townspeople seemed to have aged normally, yet their friends from the Golden Sun adventure, Kraden included, seemed only to have aged roughly three of the ten years that had gone by since they first set out. While no one had talked about it much, Isaac decided that he would write letters to Kraden and Piers to see if either of them had some way of explaining the strange things occurring with their aging process.

Shaking the thought of aging from his mind, Isaac smiled as he reread the section in Garet's letter regarding his fear of proposal. Eyeing the small, fabric-lined box sitting on his desk, Isaac reached for it and lifted the lid. Inside rested a beautiful ring topped with three small diamonds. It was a double banded ring of mythril silver that simply yet elegantly presented the diamonds. The two bands were made to look as though they continuously intertwined as they looped around the finger.

Isaac had literally spent a fortune having the raw materials shipped from Loho to Yallam to be forged into a ring by Sunshine, and then have the custom ring shipped from there to Imil. While the mere mention of the overall price had made him wince, Isaac couldn't have asked for a more special and beautiful piece of jewelry, and the thought of spending his life with the equally beautiful Mercury adept was worth more than anything he could ever purchase for her.

"Sorry, Garet," he grinned as he said aloud, "but it looks like it's only you who's too afraid to propose."

In all honesty, Isaac would have proposed to Mia right away if he had thought it appropriate. He'd sent out his order and payments for the ring about two years ago. He didn't realize that it would take two years for the completed product to arrive in Imil for him, but after seeing the beauty and complexity of the ring he understood exactly why it had taken so long. During that time, Isaac was able to come up with the perfect way to propose to Mia, so now it was just a matter of putting his plan into action.

"Mia," he whispered, closing his eyes and holding the ring close to his heart, "you once said that I've made you the happiest girl in the world. I promise that I will continue to do so for all eternity." Closing the box, he placed it in a hidden compartment in his desk and left his house for the sanctum, only wanting to speak to his beloved as soon as possible.

As he approached the sanctum doors, Isaac felt his heartbeat quicken and a few sweat beads formed on his forehead. Taking a deep breath he mentally gave himself a pep talk. He wasn't proposing just yet, so there was no reason to feel so nervous. Pushing open the large doors, Isaac walked in to see Mia and Megan at the altar. It seemed they hadn't quite realized that he was there.

"Mia, you need to stop worrying about Justin! He's not even a soldier, Isaac said that he wouldn't let him actually do battle until he's sure that Justin can handle a ghoul on his own."

"I know, I know; it's just that you two are so dear to me. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you or Justin. I still tear up thinking about the incident with the lizard men. You're both too young to be putting yourself in danger like that!"

"But, Mia, we're older than you were when you left Imil to travel with Isaac and the others! And, let's face it, we're practically the same age as you now. I know we aren't _technically _as old as you are, but everyone in town agrees that you and Isaac still look like you're our age."

"Still, just because we look the same, doesn't mean we are. I don't want anything to happen to you guys."

Megan shrugged, apparently not knowing what else to say to stop Mia from worrying. Turning away from her, Megan noticed Isaac approaching.

"Oh, hi, Isaac! You didn't hear all that, did you?" she asked in her usual chipper manner.

"More or less, it's nothing I haven't heard before," he replied.

"M'kay, well, I assume you came to speak with Mia, so I'll leave you two alone. Maybe I can go bug Justin about that girl he's been seeing." With that, she quickly went to the back, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. _She may be nineteen,_ thought Isaac, _but she's still just as much a troublemaker as she's always been._

Smiling, he walked over to Mia and put his arm around her, hoping to melt the slight frown off of her face. "Don't worry, Mia. I promise I won't let anything happen to him while he's training with me. He's only a tactician, so the battlefield is off-limits until I think he's ready, and even then his first few battles will only be against small monsters."

"I wish it were as easy as simply calming down," she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "They're like my family. I raised them as if they were my younger siblings, as if they were my kids, even. It's just hard to see them grow up like this. I know Justin's more than capable, I just can't stop worrying."

Isaac chuckled lightly, "You sound like a motherly old widow, Mia. You know what, I think that everything around here has just been stressful for you lately. We should take a trip somewhere. It doesn't have to be expensive or anything, just far enough from here to help you relax a little."

She looked up at him, her frown turning into a slight smile. The sight of her cheering up a bit warmed his heart. "Maybe you're right. It _has _been over a year since we last travelled somewhere. Did you have anywhere in mind?"

Isaac knew exactly where he wanted to go. The first stages of his plan were coming together, but he had to play it off like he wasn't planning anything. As naturally as he could, he shrugged, "Maybe somewhere south? I'm not really sure where, but we wouldn't really have to decide until we reach Bilibin, since that's where the possibilities split into going east or west. Sound okay?"

She closed her eyes and smiled, letting out a breath, "As long as I can be with you, anything sounds good, Isaac."

He cheered mentally and gave her forehead a kiss. It seemed that she was tired after her long day of work, so Isaac playfully lifted her onto his back and carried her out of the sanctum. She squealed slightly at his unexpected action, but soon found herself giggling and lovingly wrapping her arms around him while he carried her to his house.

"So," she started, sitting by the fireplace once they reached his house, "when do you think we should take this vacation?"

"Well, being the captain, I have the privilege of taking leave when I feel like it, as long as I leave someone in charge in my stead; so I'd say that as soon as you can take time off."

She giggled at his enthusiasm, "Oh, I'm sure I can ask Megan and Justin to look after the sanctum while I'm away; it's not like they haven't done so in the past. If they're okay with it, I'd say we could probably leave by later this week."

"Perfect!" he cheered, grinning at how perfectly everything was falling into place. Happily scooping her up into his arms, Isaac gave Mia a strong and passionate kiss, unable to suppress his joy.

"Wow," said a slightly dazed but happy Mia, "someone's in a good mood! Are you really so excited to go on this trip?"

Isaac laughed, still cradling Mia in his arms, "You could say that; I think it's mostly just because I'm so in love with you, Mia."

Mia's face was aglow, and she pulled him into a softer but equally passionate kiss. The two lovers spent the rest of their evening talking about places they could go, and all the things they could do on their trip. Isaac was glad to know that Mia remained oblivious to his true intentions for their getaway. Eventually the two of them fell asleep on his couch; the bond between them had never been stronger, and Isaac slept happily knowing that he would soon reach his final destination with the woman he so dearly loved.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The two adepts arrived in Bilibin surprisingly quickly. Leaving only four days after they had begun planning their trip, they somehow managed to arrive in the enormous city only two weeks later; a trip that would usually take them about a month. They soon realized that the reason was because Bilibin had expanded its territory yet again, and they had heard from one of the gatekeepers that Lord McCoy would soon declare Bilibin as its own kingdom.

Isaac, knowing exactly where he was going, led the two of them towards a familiar region in the soon-to-be kingdom. Upon reaching the rental home district, the chubby, moustached landlord came running up to the two of them.

"Wow, it's Lord Isaac and Lady Mia! The Saviours of Imil and Warriors of Vale coming to stay in one of my homes! P-please, no charge is necessary from such famous icons! Imagine, the heroic lovers needing _my_ business!"

"Oh my," Mia said to Isaac, "I had no idea we were so well-known!"

"Neither did I," said Isaac, winking to the landlord when Mia wasn't looking. In truth, Isaac had sent a letter and generous payment to the landlord ahead of time explaining his plan and requesting that he pretend to allow them to stay for free.

"Please, allow me to lead you to our finest estate!" exclaimed the stocky man, waddling ahead of them towards the largest of all the homes. "Enjoy your stay!" he said happily while he held open the door to a beautiful atrium.

Thanking him, Isaac took the key, and the two adepts stepped inside before dropping their bags. Most homes were not even large enough to have a main hall, so the fact that this one was large enough to have its own entrance atrium was stunning even to Isaac, who had paid for this home in specific.

"It's so… so lavish! I feel like a princess!" said a wide-eyed Mia. She was in complete awe of her surroundings, and Isaac loved how cute she was in such a state.

"You're my princess, Mia, and I'm going to make sure that this vacation is well worth your while."

She laughed and gave him a quick kiss before running off like a child to explore the house. Smiling, Isaac brought their bags up the large staircase towards the impressively sized bedroom at the end of the hall. Just as he'd finished unpacking their bags, an out-of-breath Mia stepped into the room with a silly smile on her face.

"This house… is amazing… Come and see!" she panted. Apparently the house was big enough that she'd run out of breath as she sped around.

Chuckling, Isaac took her hand and allowed her to lead him. He'd have done this much sooner if he had known that Mia would be so giddy about a mansion-like house. What made him glad more than that, though, was that she already seemed to have forgotten her troubles; he didn't want her to feel stressed in any way when he finally popped the question to her.

The stage was set, now all that he needed to do was find the perfect moment.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

_Tonight's the night. Oh, Sol, tonight's the night I finally do it. All my planning, setting everything up, it'll all be for tonight._

The two of them had spent only two nights in Bilibin, but Isaac was too anxious to wait any longer. He'd made sure that all of his plans for this night would go perfectly. He double-checked to make sure that he'd received consent from everyone who would be involved, for he had to be certain that nothing went wrong. Assuming she said yes, he would finally become Mia's fiancée. That thought alone made his heart leap with joy. He could feel a tornado of butterflies fluttering around in his chest, but nothing would prevent him from making tonight perfect.

"That was such fun, Isaac," said Mia as they exited Lord McCoy's palace. The first item on Isaac's agenda was that they would attend the Sol and Luna Ball, hosted every year by Lord and Lady McCoy. It was an extremely exclusive event, but Isaac had pulled a few strings to receive two invitations.

"Well, Mia, the night's still young. Why don't we take a walk in the park for old time's sake?" he asked, holding out his arm in a gentlemanly manner.

Giggling, Mia took his arm and nuzzled close to him. "Feeling nostalgic, are you? Well, I don't mind. I think it'll be romantic to revisit the place where we first held hands."

Slowly walking towards the park, the two gazed at their beautiful snow-covered surroundings. The skies were clear, and the bright moon shone its pale glow onto the scene, causing the snow to sparkle.

Isaac's gaze slowly turned to Mia while she gazed in awe at the remarkable view. She was wearing a slim, silky, pale blue dress with matching elbow-length gloves. Her hair was done up in a very pretty way that Isaac had never seen before; though he did notice her usual ribbon holding everything in place. On top of it all, she wore the Glittering Tiara he'd won for her in Tolbi a long time ago during their adventure. As always, despite it's rather plain look, Mia insisted on wearing the locket he'd given her; it had become her precious keepsake. She looked radiant, and he knew that he'd never known anyone quite so lovely as the Mercury adept with him right then. Even in his spiffy tuxedo, Isaac could never hope to look even half as good as her, but he knew that Mia was not superficial like that. Besides, he'd been told by a great number of noblewomen at the ball that he looked quite handsome, to whom Mia would thank before kissing him. The thought brought a smile to Isaac's face as the two made their way into the park's entrance arch.

The soft powder danced around Mia's dress, and it almost seemed as if she were hovering slightly: like an angel. Sticking to his plan, Isaac lightly pulled her on the path that led right, the opposite direction from where their bench was.

Slightly confused, Mia asked him, "Huh? Are we not going to our old spot?"

Keeping his cool, Isaac responded to her, "We are, I just wanted to show you something. Besides, the path is just a big loop, anyway, so we're taking the long way to the bench."

"Oh, okay, I suppose that's true anyway. What did you want to show me?" she asked more curiously than confusedly.

"You'll see soon enough," he said, grinning as they continued down the longer path.

As they walked down the path, a peculiar sight met their eyes. Many arches lined the walkway that they were heading down, and each was decorated with white and gold candles and flowers. Mia gasped in surprise when she noticed the beautiful decoration, but Isaac simply smiled. _Part one, check._

"I didn't know there was anything like this in the park!" cooed Mia, eyes sparkling as she took in the beauty of the sight.

"I'm sure you're in for quite a few surprises then, Mia," said Isaac. "I want everything to be perfect for you."

Giving him a warm smile, Mia gave his hand a light squeeze as they passed under the numerous arches. Isaac couldn't quite explain how he was suppressing his urge to simply ask Mia to marry him right then and there. She looked so beautiful, yet she was still adorable in the way she gazed all around her surroundings with such wonder. Perhaps he held back because he knew that this was only the first of a few things he had planned for her; if he proposed now, everything else would be for naught.

Exiting the tunnel of light and flowers, the two could hear the romantic melody of violins from somewhere around them. Mia giggled; she had apparently picked up on the fact that he had planned all of this, but still remained oblivious to his exact intentions.

As they continued on their romantic stroll, a sight Isaac was not expecting met their eyes. Nevertheless, he chuckled as they approached the two snowmen on the side of the path. It seemed as though some of the citizens still remembered him from many years ago, as the snowmen seemed to be modeled after he and Mia. One had many flowing blue strings plopped on top of its head, while the other was slightly hunched and holding a stick for support.

"Heehee, looks like those kids left us a little memory," laughed Mia.

"Heh, it's funny that they still remember. That was seven years ago!" chuckled Isaac.

Making their way away from the snowmen, the adepts came upon another familiar sight: an angel statue. Mia quickly turned to him and flashed him a smile, knowing that there was something slightly off about it. Isaac grinned back at her. As they neared said statue, the sound of an angelic choir began to accompany the violins, though all remained unseen.

"Isaac… This is… these are… I can't… how?" Mia stammered, clearly shocked by what she was seeing. Isaac gave her a light kiss on the cheek, but didn't answer her question.

On the angel's outstretched hands were two candles: one of gold and one of blue. It was as if the candles they'd placed there all those years ago had never left. The memory of his embarrassment and nervousness came back to him. It was only through hindsight that he was able to fully understand why he'd been so nervous in that moment: he'd already fallen for Mia. Though he obviously had no idea at the time, she'd managed to find a way into his heart without him knowing.

The candles were not the only things that were different about the statue, however. Surrounding the base, near the plaque, were artistically placed ice roses. Mia had to know that these were not native to the area, but the fact that they were there gave it a stunning effect, and overall it was a fantastic sight to behold.

"I-Isaac," she stuttered, her eyes shining as they reflected the coloured lights, "did you do all of this for me?"

He smiled warmly and quietly said, "Yes, Mia, but we're not quite finished. There's just a few more things I have in store for you." As they began walking away from the statue, the violins and choir began to pick up as if they were building up for Isaac's grand finale.

After another few moments of walking, Isaac and Mia were within sight of the bench. Mia gave a slightly puzzled look, a bit confused by the fact that Isaac had done nothing more than clear the snow off the bench so they could take a seat on it. He, on the other hand, knew that he had saved the best part for last. Sitting down at their final destination for the evening, Isaac finally spoke.

"Mia, what do you see when you look at the stars?"

Somewhat taken aback by his random question, Mia cast her gaze up to the sky to get a look. Isaac used this quick second to remove the small box from his pocket. He could feel his heart start pumping so hard that he was surprised Mia couldn't hear it. The music continued to build, only further pushing him to complete his task.

"Hmm, well, to me they're just pretty lights. Stars are so mysterious, yet they make me feel at ease. The twinkling makes my heart melt, and I can't help but feel a twinge of romantic feelings come over me when I look at them. Perhaps it's because when I look at the stars, I think of you, Isaac."

Smiling, he turned his gaze to her, rather than the stars. "Stars are like that, Mia. They bring out emotions that you wouldn't expect when you look at them. Have you ever wished on a shooting star before?"

"No, I've never been lucky enough to see one."

"Really? Then I'd like you to wish on one now. Now, when our hearts are connected and we can share this special moment forever. Make a wish, Mia."

As if on cue to his words, a burst of light erupted in the sky. A loud boom followed, and Isaac grinned as Mia gasped at the firework. The music picked up even more as subsequent fireworks followed after the first one. Mia, her mouth hanging open due to a loss of words, turned to Isaac. After a few moments she was able to curiously but joyfully ask him a question.

"Isaac, what's going on?!"

Taking a deep breath, Isaac moved a bit closer to her so that he could speak gently. Despite all his planning, he had purposely not prepared what he would say right now, for he felt that the best way for this to happen would be to say whatever his heart told him to in the moment.

"Mia, you once told me that I had made you the happiest girl in the world just by being with you. I wish that I knew the words to say how you make me feel, but words just aren't enough to express my feelings. You saved me, Mia. You've literally saved my life countless times, and you were the one to destroy the darkness that haunted me. When I was hurt, you were always there to heal me, and when I was alone, you were here to stay by my side. You complete me, Mia. I was lost until I found you; always searching for the one I could call my soulmate."

"And now," he continued, "we're here in the place where our innate feelings were first realized. These countless memories of love and happiness began here. I love you, Mia, more than I've ever loved anyone before. I think I've been in love with you ever since our adventure, but I didn't know it. Looking back, I can see that I always had feelings for you, but I was too stubborn to realize them. I wish I had, because you've made my life so much better than I could have ever hoped it could become. No shooting star could ever grant me as much happiness as you have, Mia. Everything tonight was planned for you; the ball, the arches, the music, the fireworks, everything! You mean everything to me, Mia."

Taking her left hand in both his hands, Isaac slowly slid off the bench so that he could kneel in front of her. The colourful fireworks exploded and lit up Mia's face every few seconds. Her eyes were brimming with joyous tears, and her expression was making his heart leap and melt all at the same time.

"I-Isaac…" she managed to stammer out, but it was all she could say.

It was time; it all came down to this. The butterflies had already burst from his chest, and now there was only one thing left to do.

"It's because you mean everything to me, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't want to imagine a single day without you in my life." Cupping Mia's hand in his, he placed the ring box in her gloved palm with his other hand, and opened the lid. "Mia, will you marry me?"

For a moment there was silence. The music had stopped in preparation for this moment, and it seemed that even the fireworks had ceased at the appropriate time. It wasn't too long before everything seemed to catch up to Mia, though, and before he knew it, she had flung her arms around his neck in her bliss.

"Yes! Yes! Oh, Mercury, Luna, Venus, and Sol, yes, Isaac!" she cried out, joyous tears streaming from her eyes.

Hearing her positive response, Isaac returned her embrace, feeling his own eyes begin to water. Again, on cue, the music started to play, reaching its climactic point, and the fireworks began blasting away like there was no tomorrow. This was a moment that would stay with him forever. Mia pulled him into a kiss, but couldn't keep it going for long due to her unending stream of tears. Instead, the newly engaged couple shared in a great number of little kisses that were equally as fulfilling as a long passionate one.

There was truly nothing that Isaac could compare this to. None of his experiences could possibly amount to his beloved Mia saying that she would marry him. Standing at the lookout bench with his fiancée, and sharing the most romantic moment he could even think of was his utopia. If he could stay in this moment forever, he would. Asking Mia to be his girlfriend had nothing on this. Bigger risks lead to bigger outcomes, and Isaac had just taken the biggest risk of all.

When they finally stopped kissing, Isaac wiped the tears from Mia's face. Slowly, they unwrapped their arms so that he could put the ring onto her finger. Gently removing the glove from her left hand, he slid it on over her ring finger before kissing her fingertips. She marveled at its beauty for a moment before pulling Isaac in for a long kiss. She had stopped crying, so they stayed kissing in the moonlight for quite some time.

Pulling away again, the two looked at the locket hanging around Mia's neck. She clicked it open to reveal the gift from Venus. It glowed with a warm light of blue and gold, illuminating their faces. They looked back up at each other simultaneously, soft smiles appearing on both of their faces. Isaac pulled her close so they could kiss again, feeling the warmth of the heart-shaped jewel pressed against him.

Everything in his life had led up to this point. He was to become a married man with the most beautiful woman in all of Weyard, and no one would stand in his way. He couldn't wait to tell everyone of the spectacular news.

Isaac had never experienced true ecstasy, but he was overjoyed that his first time could be at such an important moment in his life, kissing his new fiancée under the starlight.

* * *

I have wanted to write this chapter for SO FREAKING LONG, it's ridiculous. I didn't really know exactly how I was gonna have it all play out, but my mind was set on the idea of Isaac proposing to Mia. Sadly, as you all know, this won't last, even though Mia said yes, so let's just make the best of what we have right now :).

There are two things that I'd like to mention about this chapter.

Regarding the sudden five-year jump, I apologize, but I really had nothing else to write about during those five years that would have been of much relevance. I know it might seem lazy to skip that much time without saying much about what happened, but you have to realize that Matthew and the others are born when Isaac is about thirty-one years old, so I needed a quick way of getting him closer to that age.

Going off of the ending of last chapter, just assume that Isaac started feeling okay before he started telling the story again. I didn't want to write an extra paragraph that would go something like 'Isaac composed himself before calling everyone back in. Tyrell and Karis held hands again, and Isaac continued from where he left off'. Pointless information is pointless.

Anyway, let me know what you guys thought of this lovey-dovey, mushy, fluffy, extremely cheesy chapter. I know that some people (*cough *cough **Anri** *cough *cough) are going to be devastated knowing that their relationship was going all the way before something happened. I know you have some animosity towards Jenna (honestly, I like Jenna as a character, just not as a partner with Isaac :P), so I'm going to say right now that she has nothing to do with the downfall of Isaac and Mia's relationship. Whenever you call her a witch, I like to pretend that you're just referring to the class that she becomes when she has only two or three Mars djinn lol.

Well, this isn't a cliffhanger, but it should leave people wondering what happens now that they're engaged.

R&R and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	16. Destruction

Gamer update! (Not that any of you care whatsoever :P). Finished KH3D the other day, and despite not being as drawn in by it as some of the others in the series, I still loved it. For me, it's always the characters and cutscenes that seem to draw me into RPGs. I'm pretty indifferent about how good graphics are because it's all about story and characterization for me. Then again, Mia had a minimally definable character in the GS series… You know what, scrap all that; I'm pretty much a sucker for any RPG. If it has a love-related plot or I can realistically make up a relationship between characters, then I'm probably sold :).

On a more fanfic-related note (but still about KH and not GS), KH fans should check out _Milk & Marshmallows_ by _Redeeming Endeavor._ I can't imagine any KH fans haven't since it's got like 42738752698345725 reviews and favourites, but in case you haven't. Actually, even if you aren't a huge KH fan, it's still a worthy read for any hopeless romantics like myself.

Okay, enough about KH. GS is still where it's at, and that's why I'm writing this story! :)

Thanks to my ever-faithful reviewers :P. My responses might seem kinda cryptic, but that's somewhat the idea here.  
**Mr0cheese: **You've successfully relieved my insecurities about the time skip, so for that I thank you. Regarding Isaac's years through age 27-31 and his relationship with Jenna, I'm only going to say that there won't be as much interaction as you're probably expecting until a rather specific point… Cryptic response #1  
**Hanabro:** Post-secondary life sucks. I'm still only a first-year, but I hate lectures so much. Thankfully, music courses let you play singing games in class (not that I like singing, but it's funny :P). You said you'd be shedding manly tears for when Isaac and Mia split, but you may find your eyes glistening with a different feeling near the end… Cryptic response #2  
**AnriMia24: **You seem to have made quite the name for yourself. Oh, don't be modest; I saw that Droory, the super avid softshipper, wrote a mudshipping story just for you. Also, I'd be lying if I said that the things you suggested I consider were not already on my old plot outline, but whether I've chosen to use them is something only I can know ;). I think the secret Isaac has been keeping from Garet will have a heavy impact on you, but whether it's positive or negative even I can't say… Cryptic response #3  
**jaime:** Ivan is also the only one I've implied (and am now outright saying) gets married for certain. Don't know about anyone else though… Failed cryptic response #4

Disclaimer: *Sigh…

* * *

The light sound of snowflakes bumping the window accompanied the morning chill that wafted around the mansion. Isaac didn't notice the temperature, though, as he was still in bed with Mia. The two lay there for some time, keeping each other warm under the blanket.

"Good morning, sleepy," mumbled a half-awake Mia.

Grumbling, Isaac managed to croak something somewhat comprehensible, "Ugh, five more minutes, mom."

Mia giggled. Apparently she'd never heard a twenty-seven-year-old man ask his mother for five more minutes of sleep. "I certainly hope you're joking, Isaac. I'm not sure how I'd react if you told me you had proposed to your mother and cuddled her to sleep!"

Well that certainly got his attention. Laughing, he kissed the top of her head, which was lying on his chest. "Shh, it's a secret, Mia; only something I would tell to my fiancée."

He felt her head shift as she turned to look up at him. A warm smile was on her face, and she crawled up so that she was at eye-level with him. Giving him a light peck on the lips she glanced down at her hand to examine the ring she hadn't taken off. Everything about last night had gone by so quickly, yet it felt like time had stopped. The memories were so clear, yet the event was such a blur. It certainly was a paradoxical evening.

Isaac was slightly surprised when he noticed something a little out of the ordinary. What surprised him more than the actual predicament he found himself in was that the situation hadn't crossed his mind until this point, but that didn't really matter anymore, since he did take notice eventually. A light blush formed on his cheeks as he completely processed the information in his head.

His shirt was off.

Usually he went to bed with a light cotton shirt, but nothing separated him from Mia. That was when he noticed something else.

She wasn't wearing her usual nightdress or blouse. Only a bra could be seen on her upper body.

He began to panic. Had they done what he thought they did? Obviously things had gotten a bit heated last night, but the blurred images were blocking his memories. They hadn't been drinking, but for whatever reason he could only remember the feeling of Mia's body pressing against his. The only solution he could think of was to check if his unmentionables were covered. Nervously lifting the blanket, he stole a glance downwards.

_Oh, thank the gods._ His shorts were still on, and so was Mia's underwear. It seemed that things had gotten heated, but they were both still rational enough not to go all the way. He chuckled slightly, wondering if Mia was going through all of these thoughts right now.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing important," he responded calmly. "I'm just going over everything that happened last night. It seems so surreal."

"You can say that again," she said. Her cheeks turned a bit pink, obviously thinking of what happened _after_ accepting his proposal. She laid her head on the pillow beside him and began tracing lines on his chest with her finger. The light touch tickled, causing him to twitch a bit.

He turned his head so that he could look her in the eye. Her gaze was concentrated more on the invisible pictures she was drawing on his bare chest than his face. He could honestly stare at her beautiful face all day. She was so perfect, and the way she blushed was so slight that it made her seem even prettier. He never wanted to leave the bed if he could stay like this all day.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, still concentrating her gaze on her finger's canvas.

His lips curled up. There was no reason to hide what he was staring at. "You," he stated plainly. That caused her to look up and meet his eyes. The two pairs of blue orbs locked in that instance, unable to look away. He pulled her in for a long kiss, thinking that there could be nothing better to do right then.

She chuckled when he pulled away, "You're so sweet, Isaac. I probably don't look very good right now; I'm not much of a morning person."

He paused for a second while he thought of an appropriate response; "I can't wait to see you once you get ready, then; because if this is unflattering, then I may just melt away when I see normal."

She giggled and nuzzled her face against his cheek. "My, you're certainly the gentleman this morning. I think I could get used to this."

"Well, you're gonna have to. We're getting married, remember?"

"I couldn't forget it if I tried, and I can't even think of a situation where I'd want to forget." With that she gave him a light kiss on the cheek and crawled out of bed, much to Isaac's disappointment. "I'm going to take a bath. No peeking!"

He laughed pulling the slightly displaced blanket back over his bare torso. "I don't think seeing you naked would be much different than seeing you in just your underwear, Mia."

She turned to him as she was about to go through the doorway into the master bathroom. "You'd be surprised," she said seductively, giving him a light giggle and a wink. Now this was a side to her that Isaac hadn't experienced before. His shorts suddenly got tighter, and he decided that he'd wait until Mia was done bathing and fully clothed before he would get up.

"So, where are we heading next, Isaac?" asked Mia as she sat down for breakfast after her bath.

"Uh, to be honest, the whole reason for leaving was so I could propose. I wasn't sure what you'd wanna do after Bilibin," he responded from the kitchen, stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth.

"Mm, well, I actually wouldn't mind heading back to Imil, if you had nowhere else in mind. It's not everyday you can show off to everyone that you're getting married!"

"Are you sure, Mia? We haven't been gone for that long, and I'm fine with taking you wherever."

"Oh, Isaac, you're just as thoughtful as ever. I never said we had to leave right away, but, you know, I don't really feel like travelling anywhere unless it's back to Imil. This is a really amazing house mansion thing that we'll probably never get another chance to stay in, so it's either home or here."

Isaac chuckled and took a seat beside her at the table, giving her a one-armed hug from the side. "I'd like to stay here too, at least for a couple more nights, anyway."

Getting up so she could sit on his lap, Mia gave his forehead a quick kiss before she took a bite of her fruit tart. Isaac wasn't sure if anything could make him happier right now. He was on vacation in the most lavish house he'd ever been in while the most beautiful girl in all of Weyard sat on his lap. Did he also mention that she was his fiancée as of last night? This was the life.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"I-I can't believe this. How can this be happening? Why now? No, no, no, no, NO!"

"Isaac, I'm so sorry. You couldn't have known this was going to happen. There was no way you could've stopped it either."

Isaac looked up and down the letter from Jenna over and over, as if to determine if it was real or not. His eyes brimmed with tears and it seemed Mia wasn't completely sure how to comfort him: probably because something like this had never happened to her before.

He and Mia had returned to Imil about two months ago, and had sent out letters to all of their friends regarding their upcoming wedding. Neither of them wanted to rush it, but it was so exciting that they had set a date for only four months away. Everyone except for the invited guests from New Vale had responded almost as soon as they had received their invitation. Initially, Isaac was a bit angry with his friends and family for not being the first ones to respond, but now that he'd received a letter from them two months late, it was no wonder why they hadn't gotten the chance to respond.

"I just… just… why did this have to happen?!" he cried out. Mia took the letter from him, trying to help him divert his eyes from the words written on the page. Unfortunately for her, the words had burned themselves into his mind.

_Isaac and Mia_

_Please forgive me for not writing in such a long time, but there's been a disaster here. About two months ago, Mt. Aleph erupted, causing everything within at least a one hundred mile radius to become covered in ash and burning rocks. We must have built New Vale too close, because it was hit hard. We've all had to evacuate and relocate in Kalay. Isaac, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but it's your mother. It seems that with all the recent chaos and – well, you know how prone to sickness she is – other things going on that she took ill as we were fleeing the village. I don't know the full details, but I do know that she's in the sanctum here with some of the injured citizens. Your father was also hit in the arm by a flaming rock, but I'm not completely sure how he's holding up. Please, I know it's short notice, but we need you to come to Kalay as soon as possible._

_Write back once you've read this,  
__Jenna_

_PS: Once things have calmed down, I'm sure everyone will be overjoyed to attend your wedding. Congratulations!_

He could feel Mia's hands rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to comfort him. Shrugging them off, he brought his hand up to wipe the tears in his eyes.

"When will you leave then?" she asked him sadly.

"I… I don't know. I think I should leave tomorrow. I have to make sure everyone's okay. M-mom… Dad… I'm sorry, Mia. I have to leave as soon as I can."

"I understand, Isaac. I… I'm coming with you."

"What? No, Mia, you don't have to do that. This isn't going to be easy, and I'll need to be at my strongest if I'm going to help them."

"But that's exactly why you need me, Isaac. You're obviously devastated right now, and now more than ever you need me to help you through it all. We promised that we'd always be there for each other, and I intend to hold up my end of the bargain." She gazed into his eyes, a serious look in her usually soft blue eyes.

"Mia, I… I… Oh, Mia!" he cried as he fell into her open arms. He'd never felt so broken in all his life. His old home, his friends, his family; what if they were all gone when he went? He was only aware that Jenna was safe, but what if she had downplayed his parents' conditions? Was Garet safe? Why hadn't Ivan told them anything, or Kraden, even?

All the while, Mia held him tightly in her arms. "Have faith, Isaac. We'll get there and we'll do everything in our power to help them. I'll help tend to the wounded, starting with your parents. I'll make sure that nothing bad happens to them, I promise."

The two of them went about getting their things ready for the two-month-long journey ahead of them.

Isaac would do everything he could to save his parents; he had to.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The two arrived in Kalay on schedule, but their journey past Vault – or what was left of it, anyway – only added to the horrific thoughts that occupied Isaac's mind. The once green mountains and plains in the general region of New Vale were now different shades of black, grey, and brown; scorched by the flames of Mt. Aleph.

"Isaac!" a familiar voice screamed as he and Mia entered the city limits of Kalay. He was instantly wrapped in a tight hug from an incredibly tired-looking Jenna. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were puffy, and her clothes were covered in dirt and ash.

"Jenna! Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll take you two to the sanctum right away." She hurried off instantly, forcing Isaac and Mia to run after her.

The scene was much worse than Isaac could have possibly imagined. Hundreds of familiar faces stood and sat around the sanctum. Most of them were covered in dirt and ash, much like Jenna. It seemed that with all of the chaos, none of them had had the chance to bathe. That or they were too preoccupied to think of it. Even after two months, the citizens looked as though they'd just fled their destroyed home yesterday.

Weaving through the crowd, Isaac and Mia followed Jenna into the sanctum only to find the look of things much worse in there. The people outside had only been unharmed people, but the way things were in here almost made Isaac faint. So many familiar faces, people he had grown up with, laid on stretchers or had bandages wrapped around different parts of their bodies. He almost vomited when he saw body bags being wheeled away. How could this happen to such good people? He felt Mia gently take his hand, and he felt a slight bit of tension leave his body.

"They're just through that door, third and fourth bed down the aisle," said Jenna, pointing at a door near the back of the sanctum. "I-if you don't mind, I need to leave. There's… there's someone else I need to go see."

"Thank you, Jenna," Mia responded when Isaac stayed silent. Jenna nodded in response and quickly went off in search of whomever it was she needed to see.

"Isaac," Mia said softly to him. He had stopped in front of the door. Why couldn't he bring himself to open it? Was it for fear of seeing his parents in a worse condition than the others? Why else would they be kept in a separate room? He couldn't move, the anxiety was too much for his body and mind.

Instead of forcing him to do it, he felt Mia's hand gently on top of his. He could feel her turn the knob and lightly push the door open before calmly beckoning him in. Gulping, Isaac entered to see a long row of beds side by side, each with an occupant. He wore a mortified expression as he looked a short distance away to see his mother and father lying in adjacent beds. Fully regaining control of his motor functions, Isaac ran over to the beds of Kyle and Dora.

"Mom! Dad! It's me, Isaac!"

The pair of them groaned slightly before opening their eyes to see their worried son standing at the foot of their beds.

"Isaac? You came," said his lightly balding father. Isaac glanced at Kyle's arm, only to instantly regret it. His right arm was completely charred, and in some sort of weird-looking bag. It felt painful to even look at it, yet Isaac couldn't tear his eyes away from the bloody, blackened limb protruding from his father's shoulder. It would probably have to be amputated from the look of it. He looked pleadingly at Mia who nodded reassuringly and walked over to Kyle to assess the damage of his arm.

"Isaac, oh my beautiful son," the grey-haired Dora managed to croak out before coughing madly. Jenna was right, his mom was quite ill.

"Mom, please save your strength," he said, trying not to choke as he fought back tears.

"Now you listen to me, Isaac. I may *cough* be sick, but I'm not hurt or anything. I'm *cough* going to *cough* be fine."

Isaac wasn't convinced. When she had fallen sick during his adventure, she didn't even look a third as bad as she did right now. Mia, taking note of Dora's coughing fits, walked to her bedside.

"Ma'am, please try to relax while I do this. It'll help ease the psynergy into your system."

"Oh, come now, dear, you don't have to call me ma'am. Just Dora is fine. After all, you're going to be my new daughter-in-law, aren't you?"

Mia smiled as she hovered her hands over Isaac's mother. The blue glow from Mia's hands seemed to seep into Dora's body without a hitch. Isaac sighed in relief as he heard his mother's breathing become less raspy and hoarse. She seemed to relax and fall asleep as Mia finished up her Ply.

"Thank you, Mia," he said to her. Catching her small smile, he looked back over at his father, who had also fallen back asleep. "Will he be alright?"

Mia's smile faltered, and she didn't meet Isaac's eyes as she spoke, "I'm sorry, Isaac, but it looks like the damage is too much for even my powers to attend to. At this point, not even the healing waters of Hermes could save his arm. Unfortunately, it's been left in this state for too long. We can only pray that he's lost feeling in it, so that it won't be painful when they ampu-"

"Don't! Just… don't say it," he cringed as he turned away from Mia and his father.

Mia hugged him from behind and buried her face into his shoulder blades. "I'm so sorry, Isaac. I really wish there was something I could do! It kills me to see you like this, and I wish I could just heal your pain as well!"

Isaac sighed. What could he say to her? She obviously knew it wasn't her fault, but he didn't know what he was supposed to say right then. He wasn't much in the mood for thinking of something, so instead he took one of her hands in his own and led her out of the room.

When he finally looked up from the ground, Isaac spotted Jenna and Garet heading out the front doors of the sanctum. Wanting to see if Garet was alright, Isaac pulled Mia along behind him as he quickly moved towards the door. Upon reaching it, he pushed the doors open to see them sitting on the front steps. Jenna was rubbing his back, tears streaming down her face, but Garet had his face in his hands as he shook slightly. This was a new sight for Isaac. He wasn't sure if Garet had ever cried in his life.

"Jenna, w-what's going on?" Mia asked cautiously. Before she could answer, Garet stood and hurried away from the sanctum. Isaac quickly went after him before either of the women could say anything.

"Garet, wait!" he called after his tall friend. What the hell was going on? He must have chased the Mars adept for at least ten minutes before Garet finally stopped at the edge of a pier overlooking the Karagol Sea. Isaac stopped as he watched his friend scream out to the water and shoot hundreds of fireballs into the sky and sea. This continued for about another ten minutes before Garet slumped onto the edge of the pier and dangled his legs over the edge. Realizing it was safe to approach now, Isaac slowly made his way towards him.

"Garet…" he said, unsure of how to go about the situation.

The Mars adept sniffled and wiped his moustache, allowing the tears to fall into the water beneath him. "Why'd you follow me, Isaac?"

"I had to make sure you were okay. Obviously something happened, but you ran off before we could get an answer."

Garet stayed silent, staring straight out in the direction of where Tolbi would be. Isaac sighed and sat down beside his friend, wanting to help him without seeming insensitive by asking what happened. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"What was it like, Isaac," Garet suddenly asked, "when you thought your dad was gone forever?"

Taking a moment to process Garet's question, Isaac responded sadly, "I… I felt helpless. I thought if I'd only gotten there sooner maybe things could've been different. It all happened so quickly, and I didn't know what to do, so I ran. I thought if I ran, I could run from my problems; run from the horrible nightmare that was my father's death, Jenna's parents' deaths, Felix's death, the deaths that were _my_ fault. I ran straight into Saturos and Menardi, and then they almost killed us. At that point, my own death wouldn't have mattered to me."

"Then you know… You know what I'm feeling right now. But pain isn't something you can run from. It's something you have to face head-on. If you don't, you might as well wind up dead…"

"Garet…"

"I'm a little jealous, Isaac. In the end, it turned out that your father was alive. He was alive and he came back home with us. There's nothing like that for me. There's no light at the end of this tunnel. I prayed to Sol that he would make it. He's been in the sanctum for two months now, as soon as we got to Kalay, and I finally thought things were starting to look up. I was kidding myself, and now he's never coming back…"

"Who…?"

Garet's eyes began watering again, and rivers trailed down his cheek as he tried to take deep breaths. His lip quivered as he tried to speak, but only a quiet moan escaped his throat. Isaac had never been in such a situation before. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't tell Garet that everything would be all right, because that was probably the last thing he wanted to hear, especially since Isaac still didn't know whom Garet was talking about.

"So young, so brave…" Garet mumbled. Without warning he shot up onto his feet and screamed out again, shooting fireballs in every direction.

"Garet, stop!"

"**AAAAAAAAH! DAMMIT ALL TO HELL! WHY HIM? HE WAS STILL JUST A KID, JUST MY BABY BROTHER! AARON, WHY?!**"

Isaac nearly choked and fell in the water upon hearing the name of the victim. Aaron, Garet's kid brother. By now he would've been only sixteen years old. Isaac still couldn't believe he'd heard that right, though. Aaron, just another lively kid in the village, was dead. Now he understood what Garet had been saying about his father turning out to be alive. Aaron would get no second chance. There was no higher being to come and save the soul of Garet's brother. He was gone, and there was nothing anyone could do at that point.

Isaac could feel his mouth go dry as he watched Garet slump down a short distance away. Tears rolled down Isaac's face, but he didn't know what to say. He'd experienced death, yes, but it had turned out to be false in the end. What could he possibly say to Garet?

"Garet, I… I… If you ever need someone to talk to, or anything at all… I'm here for you."

His best friend did not look up, however. Instead, Garet simply stood and started heading back in the direction of the sanctum. "Come on, the girls are probably waiting," he said solemnly.

The entire walk back was silent. Isaac had to keep his eyes off of Garet's grim expression to keep himself from breaking down. It wasn't fair. Why did a kid so young have to die? There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of cruel, heartless people in the world, so why did an innocent kid have to meet an early demise. What did Aaron, not to mention his family, ever do to deserve such a terrible fate? When they finally reached the sanctum, Jenna and Mia were right where they left them. It looked as though Jenna had explained the situation to Mia, as she was crying when they approached.

How could such tragedy strike the lives of ones so young? Not just Aaron, but the other people affected by him. The heroes themselves were yet to reach the age of thirty, yet here they were caught in the middle of one of the biggest disasters ever recorded in Angara's history.

Night fell quickly on the broken city of Kalay. Master Hammet and Lady Layana had generously opened their home to the people of New Vale. Isaac and Mia decided that they should stay at the local inn, rather than taking a room from someone who had probably lost everything.

Thoughts lingered in Isaac's mind as he tried to sleep. Mia's light breathing beside him usually helped him fall asleep as well, but it was not so on this night. So much had happened in such a short period of time. Barely two months ago he was happily and excitedly planning his wedding with the woman who now slept beside him. He wasn't sure how to tell her, but the wedding would have to be postponed while they helped the citizens of New Vale reclaim their lives. He felt horrible about putting off the day they had both looked forward to, but Mia had to understand.

"Isaac, you should get some sleep," Mia mumbled from beside him, "tomorrow will probably be just as grueling."

He turned to wrap his arms around her, "I know, it's just hard. There's so many things floating around in my head right now."

She turned her face towards him and gave him a slow kiss. "I'm sure there is. Truth be told, I have a lot on my mind too. Isaac, I know this is going to sound awful, and I'm truly sorry for having to give you more bad news, but I think until further notice we're going to have to call off our wedding. If we want everyone to attend, then two months is not going to be enough time for them to get back on their feet. Please understand. I'm doing this out of my love for you."

Isaac paused for a moment, stunned by what she had to say. He was literally about to tell her the exact same thing, but she had beat him to it. He kissed her again, and smiled for the first time that day. "I'm glad that we're on the same page, Mia. I was afraid you might be hurt if I suggested it, but you beat me to the punch on it. You're wonderful, Mia, and I love you for being you."

She gave him a sleepy smile before closing her eyes and nuzzling up closer to him. Amidst all the sadness and negativity of the day behind him, Isaac felt warmth from Mia. She had spent all day healing the injured, yet she still kept a level head and knew exactly the right things to say. She was the fire that kept him going when things got tough.

_We can do this. Together, we can help get the citizens back on their feet, and then we'll have our wedding. She'll always be here for me, and I'll be there for her. That is one thing that will never change._

Isaac didn't know how painfully wrong his last stray thought would turn out to be…

* * *

Ooooh semi-cliffhanger! Okay, well, not really because that's a really vague last sentence, but I'll leave it as a semi-CH because I may know what it means, but _you _don't necessarily :).

Anyway, I'm kinda neutral about this chapter. I mean there was some fluff, not a lot, but I think I filled in emotional turmoil where fluff should go. As you can probably guess by now, this is the second decline of Isaac's emotional journey. It started low with present day Isaac, then went high with New Vale Isaac, then it dropped from Jenna-less Isaac, then it rose again with Mia's Isaac, and hit an all time high at newly engaged Isaac. It's pretty much a roller coaster because now it's about to drop again, as you should all know based on the first chapter. Now it's just a question of 'will Isaac's emotions end on a high note or a low note?' Guess you'll have to find out at the end of the story ;).

Hopefully I made at least one person tear up at the Aaron part, too. I dunno if it's because I was writing this pretty late, so I was delirious, or if I legitimately thought my own sad part was sad, but I started feeling pretty down when Garet screamed out to the sea.

Well, let me know if I tugged at your heartstrings in your reviews, and don't forget to check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	17. Separation

Wow, I've been so caught up in reading fanfics lately that I kinda sorta almost completely forgot about the one I was writing… As you'll see, there's not really a delay, but I rushed myself to write this chapter for the sake of consistency.

He'll probably never read this or any of my stuff until I write a KH fic, but **Redeeming Endeavor** is officially the first writer to make my favourite authors list. His style is a good mixture of hilarious and fluffy, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his stories.

Thanks to **AnriMia24**and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing!

Well, time to continue this depressing story…

Disclaimer: The disclaimer can be found on chapter one

* * *

The past year in Kalay was definitely one of the most difficult years of Isaac's life. Few twenty-eight-year-old men had to go through the pain of helping their amputee father and perpetually sick mother regain the lives that were stolen from them by an unforeseen force of nature. Who could possibly relate to teaching their father, a right-handed man, how to do everything with his left because there was nothing remaining of the other arm? How could someone know how to care for a woman who was clearly getting closer to the end each and every day she lived?

No. This was more than that. This wasn't some random event that shook the lives of so many people; it happened for a reason. Everything had a cause. This had nothing to do with Mother Nature or Venus or Mars reacting violently. It wasn't chance that had taken his father's arm or his mother's health. Fate hadn't destroyed the homes of his loved ones. Aaron's death, and the devastation of Garet's family, had nothing to do with the fury of nature. Isaac knew the true cause of all this turmoil and chaos.

It was his fault.

He'd never had much of a choice in the matter, but he knew that the blame would fall to him regardless. He disobeyed the Wise One. Back when they'd confronted Felix's group on their adventure he'd had the choice of fulfilling his mission, thus destroying Weyard inevitably, or abandoning it for Felix and the others. At the time the choice seemed so simple, but it became clear to him that his choice had been too hasty. He was paying the price for his foolish actions. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20.

Isaac sighed as the last floorboard was placed down. The Lookout Cabin was finally complete. After deciding that his parents needed to be taken care of, he'd sent them to live in a home for the elderly. He felt awful, but he wouldn't be able to take care of them all the time, especially after making his oath to send himself to exile. He'd picked the most remote section of the rocky, barren Goma Range to set up his new home. Because the eruption was indirectly his fault, it would only be appropriate that he spend the rest of his days keeping an eye on Mt. Aleph's activity. At least he still had Mia. Even after he had a mental breakdown, she promised she'd stay with him, even if it meant living in exile with him.

"Isaac…" a soft voice said from the doorway. Glancing up, Isaac saw Mia approaching, her light footsteps silent against the wooden floor.

"What is it, Mia? I thought you were helping out at the orphanage today."

"I was, but… something came up…" she trailed off. It was then that Isaac noticed her holding a piece of paper. A single water droplet hit the floor, and Isaac quickly looked up to see Mia crying.

"Mia, what's wrong?! What happened?"

She seemed too upset to reply verbally, so she handed him the letter before slumping down on the single wooden chair in the corner of the room. Isaac was afraid to look at the letter. This situation seemed all too familiar, except the last time this had happened it was he who was beside himself with grief. Hands shaking, he slowly brought his attention from the sobbing woman to the letter in his hands.

_Mia and Isaac,_

_I don't have much time to write this, so I have to make it as quick as possible. Disaster has struck Imil. The trolls won the battle against the maulers, but they've set their sights on a new target. The maulers, with nowhere to go, attacked us for our land. The trolls, in their pride and greed, also attacked. The worst part is that the lizard men saw this as an opportunity to strike us while we were down. We're pinned down out here, and we need one of you to return if Imil is to survive. Megan can't handle the healing alone, but the militia needs a tactician. There's only one of me, so one of you will have to return to aid us. Please hurry; a response is not necessary._

_Justin_

The letter dropped out of the Venus adept's quivering hands. He stared straight ahead as it fell softly to his feet.

"No…" he whispered. The sound of Mia's sobs brought his attention back to her. "Mia, I… what should we do?"

"I have to go back, Isaac. It's the only home I've ever had! I can't let my home end up like yours, I just can't!" she managed to cry out between sobs.

"I'll go with you."

"No, Isaac, you have to stay here. I know you've exiled yourself, but the citizens still need you, whether you think so or not. You can't abandon them now."

"I'm not going to lose you, Mia. I have to be there to protect you from anything."

A sad chuckle escaped her sobs, "I can take care of myself, Isaac. I've had to my entire life."

"Until you met me, and since then we've never been apart. It'll be fine, though. I'll just use the Teleport Lapis to…" It was then that Isaac stopped in sudden realization. He didn't have the Teleport Lapis anymore; he'd returned it to Felix long ago. His heart dropped into his stomach when he looked back up to Mia. She'd clearly already realized this when she first read the letter. Life's cruelty made itself known as Isaac remembered that he also wouldn't be able to retrieve the psynergy relic from Felix. A dark memory resurfaced in his mind…

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

_She had to be here, the only way out of this place was the entrance. Isaac took a step down the staircase of the inn. He'd been looking for Garet, but couldn't find him anywhere. Noticing Jenna walk into the inn, he followed her, hoping she would know where the tall Mars adept was. However, he'd lost sight of her when he entered the nearly empty building._

_As he slowly walked down the stairs leading to the inn's rooms, Isaac swore he could hear chokes and sobs coming from the room on the other side of the wall. It wasn't that he'd heard it often, but he knew what Jenna sounded like when she was crying, and it was definitely her in the other room. Carefully stepping towards the door, Isaac hesitated slightly before giving a light knock._

"_No visitors, please!" came Jenna's voice from the other side._

"_It's me, Jenna," he called back. A moment later, the door unlocked, and Jenna peeked out the slightly cracked door._

"_Oh, hi, Isaac. Sorry, I'm not feeling well. Maybe another time," she said, about to close the door._

"_Wait," he said, sticking his foot in the doorway, "I was looking for Garet, but now you're troubling me more, Jenna. I know you're not sick, but you've got something on your mind. What's wrong?"_

"_Please, Isaac, it's none of your concern. I think Garet went-"_

"_But it is my concern!" he interjected. "You're my friend, Jenna, and friends don't just let each other wallow in pain. I know something's on your mind. Please, Jenna, I just want to help."_

_Isaac felt the pressure from the door release his foot. Following Jenna into the room, he sat down beside her on the bed. She bit her lip in uncertainty. Apparently she was still wondering if it was something worth troubling him over._

"_Jenna," he said calmly, "you don't have to worry about me. I just want to know if there's anything I can do."_

_She sniffled, composing herself a bit before speaking. "F-Felix… he's missing."_

_Isaac's eyes went wide at her statement. Felix was missing? Impossible! How could she know that if he'd been living in Lalivero? "Wait, how do you know that? Did Sheba say he was?"_

_She nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her arm. "I got a letter from Sheba earlier. Apparently he got a letter from some guy called the High Empyror or something. It said that this guy wanted to meet him for something regarding the Golden Sun event. Felix promised Sheba he would only be gone for four months at most, but she said he's been gone for over a year now. My brother would never abandon Sheba; he loves her too much. Something must have happened! No one's heard anything from him, though. I can't even begin to think of places he may have ended up."_

_Isaac was speechless. Felix, the man he'd looked up to, fought beside, respected more than any other was missing? Who, or what, could have bested him? Wait, how was he even sure if Felix was defeated? But that seemed like the only reasonable explanation. Felix wouldn't have just left when he had his whole life ahead of him, so that could only mean that something terrible happened._

_Unable to think of anything to say, Isaac shook his head before stuttering, "Jenna, I-I'm so sorry. I had no idea. What did your parents say?"_

"_I didn't tell them. They're too old and frail now, Isaac. If news of Felix's disappearance reached them, I'm afraid the shock of losing him might… might…"_

"_It's alright, Jenna, I understand."_

_Jenna hugged her knees to her chest, much like she used to do when they were younger. Isaac put his arm over her shoulders to comfort her._

"_You'll be okay, Jenna. We'll help you get through this."_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Mia… I need you. Why is this all happening now?" he lamented. Dropping to his knees, he hung his head in sadness. He could hear Mia's footsteps as she walked over to him and took his hands in hers.

"I'll always be with you, Isaac, in here," she gently poked where his heart was. "As soon as everything in Imil is cleared up, I'll come back to you, I promise."

She did something then that stole his attention. Removing her engagement ring, she placed it in his hand and closed his fingers over it. "I'll be wanting this back. Now you have a guarantee that I'll come back. Keep your chin up, love," she tilted his head up and smiled sadly at him.

Out of impulse, Isaac fiercely wrapped his arms around the Mercury adept in front of him. He hadn't spent a day without her since his awakening in Bilibin. To think that everything was going so well for them before was almost like a dream. Maybe he _had_ dreamt all of the good things. He felt her arms curl around him, rubbing his back gently.

"I love you, Mia."

"I love you too, Isaac."

He never wanted to let her go. She'd always been there for him. He didn't even know what things might be like if she wasn't there to be his pillar of support. Eventually, though, she loosened her grip, forcing him to do the same.

"I'll write to you as soon as I get there. Be strong, Isaac."

They stood, and Isaac followed her to the door. He took a deep breath and held the tears in. This wasn't a real goodbye, anyway. She would inevitably be back, she promised him, after all. Upon reaching the doorway, Mia pulled him into another embrace.

"I'm going to miss you, Isaac. I'll be glad to see this place when it's finished, though. It'll look good with furniture."

"For you, Mia, I'll make it the most homey place possible."

She smiled sadly and dropped her arms from around him. Even the gesture of ending a hug made him sad. He felt physically weakened by sadness. Dropping his arms as well, he looked away from her to hide his sorrow.

"I guess… this is goodbye," she said.

"Yeah… goodbye for now," he said quietly.

She placed her hand on his cheek so that he would look at her. Placing a short, passionate kiss on his lips, she sadly turned around and walked out the door.

Isaac stared after her, not wanting to close the door until she was completely out of sight. He watched as she crossed the bridge and walked down the staircase. Even from a distance, Isaac could see that she was crying again, and that knowledge ate at his heart. He wanted nothing more than to run to her, tell her she didn't have to go, tell her that he would stay with her no matter what. But it was a selfish thing for him to want. She was doing this for the both of them. His eyes followed her until the last bit of blue stopped in front of the cave mouth. He watched as she stopped and looked back at the cabin once more. He slowly waved his hand to her, and stopped when she brought her hand up to her mouth and entered the tunnel. It was painful to see her so sad, but he knew that nothing would stop her at this point.

He was alone.

Sighing, Isaac closed the door and turned to face the empty room. He dragged his feet as he walked towards the furniture piled in one corner of the room. He began lying out a rug in front of the fireplace, and placed a doormat by the entrance. Better to start from the bottom up.

The interior of the cabin was, truthfully, very nice by anyone's standards. Mia was impressed by the detail that Isaac had put into it. She'd even giggled and given him a loving kiss when he showed her a future child's playroom.

Isaac shook the thoughts of Mia from his mind. He wouldn't get through this if thoughts of her constantly plagued him. If only it were as simple as telling himself not to think about her, but that only made the beautiful, blue-haired woman cross his mind even more. Perhaps finishing the décor for the house would help take his mind off of her.

A sudden, unexpected knock at the door broke his thoughts. Isaac felt his heart rate quicken. Had she come back? Would she confess that she wanted him to go with her? Would they run off to face another adventure together? These and many other thoughts raced through his head as he briskly made his way over to the door. However, he was slightly disappointed to see his best friend there instead.

"You finished it! Great work, Isaac!" shouted Garet.

Isaac gave him a slight smile, opening the door a bit more to let him in. He wasn't sure what the connection was, but ever since Aaron's untimely death Garet had been a much more mature person. His act-first-think-later attitude had been replaced with a more levelheaded one. Had the death of his brother really matured him? Whatever the reason, Isaac was neither unhappy nor thrilled with the change in his friend. In his eyes, it was just a natural change.

"Need any help moving the furniture around? I can see that it's what you were doing," said Garet, noting the few pieces that seemed in place.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks. I'm just trying to keep busy for a while."

"Oh? What's on your mind?"

Isaac hesitated before sighing and disclosing the events to Garet. "Mia left for Imil earlier. We got a letter from Justin saying that the monsters have finally ended their quarrel with each other and began focusing their attacks on the village."

"Ah, I see, so that's why she passed by me looking all down and depressed. Why didn't you go with her?"

"Because she insisted I stay. They only needed one of us to go, and Mia wanted me to help out here still. Can't say I'm much help, though. I'm in exile, and I'm the one who caused all of this, anyway."

Garet shook his head, the usual reaction he expressed during the repeated conversation he'd had with Isaac. "This isn't your fault, Isaac. You keep telling me that joining up with Felix and the others was a mistake, but imagine what would've happened if we hadn't. Either we'd have ended up dead, or they would. I know it's almost impossible to imagine ending up fighting with them, but if we were fighting for our ideals, then it would have most definitely ended in that. This was a freak accident, Isaac. No one is at fault here."

Isaac sighed. He knew Garet was right, but he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt when he associated the events with what happened. Garet wouldn't accept his apology for causing Aaron's death. He'd simply told Isaac to shut up about the whole blaming himself for the incident thing. Obviously the Mars adept was still on edge about his brother, so Isaac had made sure not to bring him up since then.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Phew, I'm beat!" huffed Garet as they brought the last mattress upstairs.

They'd spent the entire day furnishing the house, and other than a few touch-ups and cleaning, they were pretty much finished.

"We should hit up Patcher's Place. He's got a full-on inn running on the other side of that tunnel. Besides, you look like you haven't had a drink in a while."

Isaac looked at his friend confusedly. "Patcher? You mean that kid we grew up with? How could he be running an inn?"

Garet laughed heartily at his friend's confusion, "Isaac, you forget that we don't age properly. In case you forgot, we only _look_ twenty. Everyone else ages at a regular rate. Patcher's probably twenty-six or twenty-seven now. It doesn't really matter how old we look, anyhow; Patcher knows us personally. He knows that we're older than him, so we'll be fine."

Isaac thought about it for a second. "Well, I suppose it has been a while since I let loose."

Garet grinned and slapped Isaac's shoulder, "Now you're talkin'! C'mon, first drinks are on me!"

The two friends laughed as they grabbed their jackets and walked out of the cabin. No matter what sort of critical thoughts Isaac may have had about Garet, he couldn't deny that he was a true friend.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The two of them sat at the bar while they conversed with their old friend, Patcher. Isaac was surprised to see so many people living up in the mountains near his cabin. It seemed that most of them had built their homes right into the rocky face of the plateaus and cliffs that led towards his new home.

"So," started Patcher, wiping down the counter with a rag, "where're your women tonight, fellas? Didn't ditch 'em for a night out, did'ya?"

"Nah," replied Garet, taking another gulp of his third ale, "I thought I'd come up to check on Isaac. Jen's been arguing with me a lot lately, though."

"Really?" asked Isaac. "About what?"

"Nothing important, at least I don't think so. She's pissed 'cause apparently this chick who works at the item shop has been flirting with me and checking me out. Honestly, the weapon shop and item shop are connected, so obviously I'm gonna see her all the time and talk to her if we have the same lunch break. Not gonna lie though, she's got some of the sexiest blue eyes I've ever seen."

"Oh, damn," laughed Patcher, "you're talking about Roxanne – or Roxy – eh? The brunette one, right? She's definitely a looker."

"Heh, I'll drink to that," agreed Garet, emptying his glass.

Chuckling, Isaac turned the topic back on Garet, "Maybe she is hot, Garet, but weren't you gonna propose to Jenna? I beat you to it with Mia."

Garet laughed and shoved him lightly, "Shut it, Isaac! I got close, but then we started getting in all these stupid little arguments. I still care about her a lot and everything, but now seems like the dumbest time to get down on one knee for her."

"Well, y'know, you getting on one might just get her on two, if you catch my drift," Patcher said mischievously. The three men roared in laughter, causing a few people to look over at them. Isaac could care less how he appeared right now. It had been so long since he'd had real guy time, and it felt good to get back into all the rude jokes and crude, sexual humour.

The jingly bell rattled as the front doors opened to reveal Ivan and Samantha. The three men at the bar waved over to them.

"Hey, guys!" said Sam as she cheerfully skipped towards them. Isaac had liked Sam from the moment he first met her. She was very bubbly and seemed so carefree. Her sense of humour made her more like one of the guys than the girls, so they never had to worry about offending her. The only strange thing about Ivan and Sam as a couple was that she looked much older than him, despite Ivan actually being a year older than her; which often garnered them strange looks, as it wasn't every day that a twenty-five-year-old woman was dating someone who looked about nineteen.

"Hey, Sam, how's it going?" asked Isaac.

"I'd say it's going really well, wouldn't you, hon?" she replied, directing her question to Ivan.

The Jupiter adept made his way onto a stool beside Garet and blushed when she asked him. "Y-yeah, we're content…"

"Pfft, the hell's that supposed to mean?" blurted Garet.

"I think it has something to do with the sparkly new addition to her hand, wouldn't you agree, Isaac?" said Patcher, smiling as he nodded towards her.

Sam beamed and giggled as she lifted her left hand for all of the men to see. On her ring finger was a dazzling gold ring with an emerald, the same colour as her hair, situated in it.

"Hey, congrats, guys!" shouted Isaac. "Guess that means it's just you, Garet!"

"Yeah, I gue- Hey! Will you put a lid on it already, Isaac! This is about Ivan and Sam!"

Garet fumed while the rest of them laughed at Isaac's constant teasing of Garet's engagement situation. Sam made her way over to Ivan and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"My little Ivey-wivey proposed in the most spectacular way I could've ever dreamed of! It's actually the reason we're up here!"

Garet smirked, "Is that so? Why don't you tell us how it went, Ivey-wivey?" Isaac and Patcher snickered at the ridiculous pet name. Ivan just kept blushing, either feeling embarrassed or bashful from the whole situation.

"I, uh, it was nothing big really…" he muttered.

"Ugh, if you won't tell them, I will!" shouted Sam, smacking him on the arm. "Well, I don't know if you guys knew yet, but Ivan finished the first soarwing prototype. He said he wanted to take a spin with me so I was like 'sure, why not?' Little did I know that he was gonna fly us all the way from Kalay to the top of the mountain so we could watch Sol set over the horizon. He was such a cutie when he was stuttering and getting down on one knee. I thought he was gonna faint, but then when he opened the box, _I_ was the one who almost fainted! I'll spare you the mushy details, but it was romantic! We figured we were close to here, so it seemed like a good idea to pop in and see Patcher!"

Taking a few breaths from her lengthy story, Sam placed a big, wet kiss on Ivan's temple before hopping onto his lap. Still blushing, Ivan had a shaky grin on his face as he looked up to his old friends.

Patcher unexpectedly burst out laughing, earning him a few odd smiles from the group. "Ivan, you dope! Proposing is nothing to be embarrassed about! Here's an idea, drinks all around to celebrate the new fiancées, on the house!"

Isaac and Garet cheered while Sam giggled a bit. Ivan just blushed harder, still unsure of how he was meant to react to the whole situation.

"So, Sam," Patcher asked as he handed her usual martini to her, "I think Garet's got a pressing question since he should probably get a woman's opinion."

"Ugh, not you too, Patch. I didn't ask for a roast here! Sol, everyone's just ganging up on me because I haven't proposed to Jenna yet!" Garet groaned, throwing his hands up for added effect.

"Well, actually I was gonna ask her what she thought of Roxy, but I guess that's a good point too. Sam, how should Garet make up with Jenna, and how long should he wait to propose to her?"

She pondered for a moment, sipping her sweet, girly drink. "Hmm, well, to answer your first question, I think Roxy's a babe. Back in my first year at U of K, all my guy friends were super into her. She's a sweet girl and everything, but I hear her dad's a hardass. If he knew about half the parties she's been to, I bet he'd disown her."

"Haha, watch out, Garet. Either deal with the wrath of Jenna or the wrath of Roxanne's dad," chuckled Isaac. Garet just groaned again.

"And to answer your other questions, maybe do both at the same time? You could probably make up with her by proposing. Take her somewhere nice and sweep her off her feet!"

The Mars adept sat silently for a second, probably thinking it was strange that he'd just been told to do what he earlier had said was a stupid idea. "I guess I could try…" Garet muttered into his empty ale glass. Patcher was quick to refill it, making Garet's fifth glass already.

"Hey, Isaac," said Ivan, finally seeming to drop the embarrassed act, "where's Mia tonight? You guys are usually inseparable."

"Oh, yeah… well, y'see, she had to go back to Imil. There's been some monster trouble up there. I would've gone with her, but with all the reparations and stuff going on, she told me that I should stay here to help out the citizens. I'm not really helping since I live all the way out here, but I think she wants me to stay safe."

Ivan and Sam glanced at each other before the former spoke again. "Oh, that's too bad. I'm sure she'll be back here soon enough. I can't imagine she'd try to stay there longer than she has to. After all, you two were supposed to get married last year. I'm sure once everything's good in Imil, she'll be running back here so you two can finally tie the knot."

Isaac smiled at his friends. Garet gave him a thumbs-up, Patcher nodded as he wiped a glass, and Sam and Ivan smiled towards him. As long as he had friends like them, maybe he'd be okay while Mia was away. Of course he'd rather that she were here, but his friends would make due while she wasn't.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

It was well past midnight when Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Sam decided they'd stayed out long enough. Isaac offered for them to all stay at his cabin since it was much closer than the town. Patcher's was fully booked for the night, so they didn't really have much choice. Isaac held up a drunkenly staggering Garet. They'd actually lost count of how many glasses the Mars adept had downed. Ivan was initially planning to fly back to Kalay with Sam, but she insisted that he was much too tired to control the soarwing now.

"Well, here we are," said Isaac as he unlocked the door. "Garet, I'm gonna lay you on the couch, okay?"

"Yeah… w'ever," Garet managed to mumble with slurred words.

"There's a spare bed just down the hallway, guys," Isaac gestured towards the room. After laying Garet on the couch, Isaac was wrapped in a hug by Sam.

"Thanks for letting us stay here tonight, and don't fret, Isaac. I can tell you're worried about Mia, but she'll be back before you know it."

Isaac smiled to her. It was rare that people made such a strong impression on him, but he was glad Ivan had managed to find such a keeper. He watched as the two of them headed down the hallway. Before Ivan entered the room though, Isaac called out to him.

"Hey, Ivan."

"Yeah, Isaac?"

He couldn't help himself from saying it, so smirking he called back, "Don't make too much noise."

He couldn't see that well in the dark, but he knew that Ivan was blushing. He heard Sam laugh from within the room, and watched as a hand pulled Ivan in by the shirt collar before the door closed. Isaac chuckled as he heard the lock click, and he made his way upstairs towards his newly finished bedroom.

Isaac's mind was filled with thoughts of Mia as he changed into his nightclothes. He wondered where she was, if she was safe, how she would actually get to Imil if the monsters were attacking. He approached the window and opened the blinds. Luna was shining brightly over the mountaintops; it was a breathtaking sight. Closing his eyes, Isaac silently prayed.

_Luna, please watch over Mia. Help her to stay safe. Give her the strength to end the war in Imil quickly. I love her more than anything on Weyard. Please bring her back to me safe and sound. My prayers are with you, Luna, and with Mia._

He remembered that the ring was still in his pants pocket, so he dug it out and held it up to the moonlight. The diamonds almost seemed to absorb the moonlight as they sparkled in his hand. Smiling softly, he placed the ring on his windowsill and laid down for bed. He hugged the pillow that lay beside the one he was resting on. It had her scent, so he closed his eyes, pretending it was her to help ease him into a peaceful sleep. He couldn't wait for the day that she would return to him. He had no idea how long she would be, but he remembered her words as his consciousness faded.

_I'll always be with you, Isaac, here in your heart._

* * *

I know, I know, Mia doesn't actually say 'here in your heart', but that last line wouldn't make sense if it just said 'in here'.

Hey, what do you know I actually did include Sam in my story. Not to sound cocky (since I did invent her), but I like her character quite a bit now that I've actually made a person out of her crappy description by Ivan. Because of her, this is actually my new favourite chapter, believe it or not.

So what did you guys think? Sorry if it felt like the tone was changing constantly, but I wanted to capture more of Isaac's relationships with his friends. It seems like all I've written about for the past while is his relationship with Mia, and while that makes sense (seeing as he's been living with her), I feel like I haven't exactly been clear on what his relationships are with the other main people. Even though this is the decline of Isaac's emotions, there are always the little things in life that can make things good.

Also, it's been a while since I played DD, so if Patcher seems OOC, it's probably because I don't remember what he's actually like. You only get to see him for something like ten minutes in the game anyway, so I don't really care. My excuse is that he's a young Patcher in this :P.

Oh, Roxanne (Roxy) is also OC, but I based her slightly off the item shop girl in Kalay; and by based off of, I mean they have the same hair colour… :). BUT I did take into account the fact that, since Garet works at the weapon shop, the only thing separating the weapon and item shop is the building that I assume has an entrance into from both sides.

So, lots of stuff going on: Ivan's gonna get married to Sam, Mia's left Isaac temporarily to help out in Imil, Garet's having girl troubles, and Felix is missing. Hopefully some of this stuff seems canonical because I'm trying to make it so that this story flows into DD without seeming nonsensical.

R&R and check out my soundcloud (I'm hopefully gonna upload a crapton of songs soon, I've just been trying to make too many unfinished ones)!

_-GengaJupite_


	18. Loneliness

I wish people would write more GS fics about the original eight. It's not that I dislike the newer characters, but I just can't seem to enjoy stories about them as much as the originals. Not to sound like a pessimist (or like a genwunner for people who know pokemon terms :P), but Isaac is better than Matthew, Garet is better than Tyrell, Ivan = Karis (lol), Mia is way way way way way way way way way better than Rief, and you kind of get the idea. The only one I can say the opposite for is Sveta vs. Sheba, but that's only because Sveta is a freaking beast, literally. Her icon is also kinda cute (no bestiality), so yeah…

That seems like an ample amount of complaining for one introduction, so on with the story!

Thanks to **CruelRuin** and **AnriMia24** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: If I were Alex, this would go something like "I have limitless power!" before the Wise One tells me "No, even your power is limited. You do not harness the power of the Golden Sun"

* * *

_Dear Isaac,_

_I promised I would write to you as soon as I got to Imil, and so I sent this as soon as I could as the proof. Don't you worry; I'm completely safe and unharmed. I must admit that the thought of trying to get into Imil was frightening, but it was actually quite straightforward. It seems that the monsters prefer to fight at night, so I was luckily able to get in without a hitch. As for the battle, I won't lie, it doesn't seem to be going so well for either side. I hope that with me here to act as a healer in Justin's stead that he'll be able to dedicate all his time to strategizing the troops. I wish you could see him, Isaac, you'd be so proud. I have yet to see the lizard warriors come up on shore, but for now it looks like we may be able to drive off the trolls and maulers; though from what I've heard, the most aggressive attacks come from the lizards. I know you want to help, Isaac, but I still need you to stay there for me. I would be devastated if Mt. Aleph erupted again but you weren't there to warn everyone. You must understand, Isaac, I love you too much to let your soul shatter again. I'll be alright, I promise. If anything happens, we've already created an escape plan for the citizens, so we'll all be safe. You aren't here, but you give us hope; hope to see a future, and hope that I'll see you again._

_I'll be home before you know it.  
__Love Mia_

Isaac softly placed Mia's ring atop the letter on his desk. His eyes glistened with both joy and loneliness when he received her letter, only to realize that it indicated that she had only been gone for two months. In that entire time, he'd never gotten a letter from anyone, so when a tapping at his bedroom window woke him, he knew that the letter and pigeon had to be from his beloved. He wasted no time in letting the bird in and immediately reading through the letter.

It was strange to see Mia speak in such a way about anything. To put it bluntly, he found her message to be rather uninformative. She didn't give much detail about the conditions of the town or the people. Perhaps she was saving him the pain of knowing that they weren't doing so well, or maybe it really wasn't so bad. Either way, he knew her well enough to know that she'd purposely left out many details so that he wouldn't come rushing off to help. It hurt him to know that she didn't want him there, but there was no way he could go against her wish.

Sighing, Isaac threw on some clothes and slowly headed downstairs. When he reached the bottom floor, he could already smell food being prepared in the kitchen. Walking in, Isaac spotted Garet flipping some meat onto a plate.

"You're up earlier than usual," Isaac teased.

"What can I say? When my stomach's growling, it's time to get up," replied the Mars adept without looking up from his food.

For the past week or so, Garet had been living up at Isaac's cabin while things with Jenna were calming down. Lately, the two Mars adepts had been experiencing quite a bit of friction in their relationship, eventually leading to Garet getting kicked out of his own house. Isaac could agree with his best friend that proposing right now may not be the best idea, as Sam had suggested. Instead, Garet had logically come to the conclusion that they needed a bit of space until they were ready to face each other again. Not wanting to live at either his parents or Kay's house, Garet had decided that the best place to go would be Isaac's cabin. It may have been hell for him to get to work all the way down in Kalay, but he'd assured Isaac that it wasn't a problem he should concern himself with.

"Oh, by the way, Isaac, Ivan's coming up here later," said Garet.

"Really? He's usually so busy with his inventions, not to mention all the wedding planning. Did he say what for?"

"I think it had something to do with his soarwing-whatchamacallit. He said if all goes smoothly, he'll leave it here for me to use to get to and from Kalay quickly."

"Smoothly?" Isaac was questionable of Ivan's intentions. What could he possibly be planning that would require things go smoothly? Ivan, regardless of his shyness around Sam, was still the mischievous prankster they knew from their teenage years.

"Beats me, he said the thing wasn't quite ready yet. Something about missing one key component."

Before Isaac could respond, a frantic rapping at his door interrupted his thought. Curious as to who would be visiting at such an early hour, Isaac glanced out the peephole before opening the door.

"Hey, Isaac!" greeted Ivan. An odd-looking machine of some sort was strapped to his back. It looked like Ivan had some folded up machine-like wings.

"Hey, Ivan. Garet said you wouldn't be here 'til later."

"Heh, I was planning on heading up once Sam left for the university, but she forced me to get out of the house right away. She thinks I don't get out enough; I can't really argue with that."

"Ha, whipped!" Garet laughed from the kitchen.

Ignoring the Mars adept, Isaac let Ivan in and continued the conversation. "Well, what's the big news? It's not often you come all the way up here to tell me something."

Ivan shifted his stance a bit and averted his gaze. "Well, I actually needed to ask you a favour…"

Isaac chuckled, "Oh, so you came all this way to get us to do something for you. Classic compromising technique, but I'll bite. What do you need?"

"Uh, well, it's a lot to ask… You can decline if you want… I just thought since Mia's gonna be gone for a while… and with Garet and Jenna trying to give each other some space…"

"Spit it out, man!" Garet shouted impatiently as he walked into the living room.

"I need you two to travel to Talon Peak in Morgal to retrieve a feather from the Mountain Roc."

The room was silent for a moment, Isaac and Garet a bit too stunned to respond. The two residents stared blankly at the Jupiter adept standing in the doorway. Ivan, on the other hand, seemed to find a sudden interest in his hands, feet, and anywhere that wasn't near the faces of his two friends. It wasn't until he cleared his throat that Garet finally said something.

"Where the hell is Morgal? And what's a Mountain Roc? Why would a rock have feathers?"

Ivan shook his head at his companion's lack of knowledge. "Morgal is a new region far to the east. If I'm not mistaken, it's on the other side of Angara, and is inhabited by people known as beastmen. The Mountain Roc is a giant bird that is sacred to the beast tribe. To obtain a feather from such an important part of their culture would require that you speak to the king in person."

Another silence ensued; however, Isaac was able to think of something to say before Ivan had to snap them out of their daze again.

"So, you want us to travel across the continent to retrieve some feather from the wings of some giant, sacred bird… and we have to meet some beast king to do so?"

"Correct."

"Can I be so bold as to ask why?"

"It's actually for your benefit, Isaac. You've dedicated the rest of your life to keeping tabs on Mt. Aleph, but it's unapproachable on foot. Watching it from a distance isn't much of a way to study what's going on around it. The soarwing will allow you to fly around the area much closer to Mt. Aleph so that you can survey the area. However, the amount of psynergy it requires to fly it is tremendous, so you'd probably only get about an hour's worth of flight in its current state. The Mountain Roc's feather's should provide an extensive amount of lift to the machine, allowing you to fly for a very long time with minimal loss of psynergy."

"This all sounds good," started Garet, "but why do you need us to get it? You have legs."

Ivan blushed and looked down at his feet. "I, uh, I'm a bit busy planning my wedding. I don't have much time to travel across Angara, and I figured since you guys aren't spending time with Mia or Jenna right now that you could maybe do this for me…"

Isaac gave a light smile to the bashful Jupiter adept. Garet, however, was not quite so quick to agree.

"As much as I want to help, I've got work, Ivan. I can't just go off on some adventure that could take us months, or even a year, to complete."

"Oh, but that's the thing," said Ivan, returning his gaze to Garet, "I've already talked to some people about helping you out. Piers said he'd be willing to sail you to the Morgal capital, Belinsk, and Roxy said she'd cover your job until you return."

Garet muttered something and blushed at the mention of Roxy's name. She was, after all, the reason he and Jenna were having issues. Isaac could see that this may do more harm than good for the Mars adepts' relationship. The way he saw it for himself, however, was much different. With Mia gone and nothing to do but watch the active volcano from afar, Isaac was actually eager to take up Ivan's offer. Thoughts of Mia still plagued his mind, and he wanted to busy himself as much as possible until her return.

"I'll do it," came Isaac's response.

"R-really? You're serious, Isaac?" Ivan asked incredulously. Garet's expression also matched Ivan's.

"Yeah, I haven't got much else to do around here, and if this can help me understand Mt. Aleph better, then I'll do whatever it takes."

"You sure about this, Isaac?" asked a skeptical Garet. "I know you want to keep your mind off of Mia, but don't you think this is a bit drastic?"

Isaac shrugged, "I have no idea how long Mia's gonna be gone. I figure if I'm going to do something, it may as well benefit me in the long run. Besides, no one said you have to come, Garet. If you want to stay here, I won't be offended."

"Pah, like hell I'll let you go alone! Last time you went off on your own you disappeared for ten years! If you're going, then I am too. Brothers stick together, Isaac."

Isaac grinned and gave his best friend a fist bump before turning back to Ivan. The Jupiter adept was beaming, obviously ecstatic that his friends were so willing to take on a potentially dangerous mission for him.

"So when do we leave?"

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"I swear to Sol, if Ivan _ever_ asks us to go on another mission for him, I'll smack him upside the head!" groaned an exhausted Garet.

The two, now twenty-nine-year-old adepts had just returned to Kalay from their ten-month long journey. Neither them nor Piers had expected it to take so long, but with the ever-changing currents and land, the straightforward course had taken more than a few detours.

"I'm just glad we're finally back," Isaac said blankly. "It would've been easier if we didn't have to pass by Imil…"

As much as he'd wanted to stop in at the snowy village, Isaac knew that it would have betrayed Mia's trust. They'd constantly written to each other, so she knew that he was out on the ocean, but she never suggested that he go to her, despite knowing that they would have to pass by on the way to and from Morgal.

"Hey, cheer up, Isaac. You know she's just looking out for you. If you stopped in Imil to see her, it would've only made it harder for you to leave for the lookout cabin. Trust me, I know being away from her for a year feels like a long time, but it's like that old saying: absence makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, she said that the monsters were starting to lay off a bit. You'll be back together in no time. You just have to hang in there until that happens."

Isaac sighed, but gave his friend a smile, albeit a weak one. "Thanks, Garet. It means a lot when you get all serious with me. And hey, maybe you and Jenna will be able to patch things up now. I think being away from her for almost a year is more than enough time apart."

Garet suddenly looked guilty and cast his gaze downwards. "Gee, I feel kinda bad now. I didn't even keep in contact with her while we were away. She's probably been worried sick about me, though she'll probably just scream her head off when I show up at home."

"Well, then you don't give her a chance to yell. As soon as you see her, wrap her in your tightest squeeze and kiss her. Don't even hesitate for a second. After that, you can figure out what to do."

The guilty look on Garet's face faded into an amused smile. He turned his head towards Isaac and let out a breathy chuckle. "Man, you are the cheesiest person alive, you know that? Still, I won't _not_ take your advice into consideration. After all, you're the one who's engaged."

The two of them laughed until they found themselves at Ivan and Sam's large estate. Being that Ivan was the adopted son of the rulers of Kalay, it only seemed natural that he should live in a large house. Isaac knocked on the door, only for it to be instantaneously swung open by an enthusiastic Sam.

"Hey, you guys are back!" she said wrapping them in a hug. She let them into the house and quickly went off to get Ivan from the basement where he liked to do his inventing.

"Even after all these years, I _still_ don't understand how Ivan managed to snag himself a beauty like Sam!" Garet mused, making sure she was out of earshot.

Isaac chuckled in agreement, "She is quite the catch, especially for our timid little Ivan. He'll always be just a kid in my eyes."

Some footsteps from the hallway caught their attention as Sam returned with a tired-looking Ivan coming into view along with her. His hair was messy and his eyes were drooping. Either he'd been busy going over blueprints for his inventions the whole time they were gone or he'd been planning the wedding. Either way, they could all agree that he needed some sleep.

"Ah, how'd the trip go?" he asked them, yawning afterwards.

Isaac and Garet glanced at each other before silently agreeing that now wouldn't be the best time to tell them it was exhausting.

"Meh, it was alright," Garet shrugged.

"Pretty straightforward. The king was unexpectedly helpful, though. We basically just asked if we could get a feather and he climbed the mountain with us to get it," added Isaac.

Ivan's eyes lit up at the news, "Excellent! If you'd be so kind, I'll take that off your hands." Isaac reached into his pack and handed Ivan the arm-length feather. "Ah, I can already feel the weightlessness of it in my hands. This'll be perfect! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some much needed sleep to catch up on."

Isaac, Garet, and Sam all watched as he trudged upstairs and into the bedroom. Turning back to face each other, Sam gave them a warm smile before gesturing them to follow her. She led them into the dining area where a few elaborately placed dishes were already prepared and waiting for them.

"All right, food!" shouted Garet, lunging towards the table.

Isaac simply shook his head at the starving Mars adept's mannerisms. Sam didn't seem to mind; if anything, she seemed flattered.

"You really didn't have to go through all this trouble, Sam," said Isaac. He was grateful for her effort, but he'd have been just as content if she hadn't.

"It's nothing, Isaac, just my way of saying thanks for helping out Ivan. He's been working himself to death with all his inventing and wedding planning. I feel a little bad that he's working his ass off for us while I'm testing out rocks in a lab."

"I'm sure he doesn't mind, Sam. Your wedding's coming up in just a few months, so it only makes sense that he's trying to make sure everything goes according to plan. I'd be doing the same thing."

She grinned and chuckled as they watched Garet wolf down the food in front of him. "It's a shame that Mia can't be here," she said, "I would've asked her to be the maid of honour. You're already Ivan's best man; it would've been cute."

Isaac frowned slightly, but made sure that Sam didn't notice, "I guess it can't really be helped. I wish she could be here too, but I don't want you two to postpone your wedding for our sake. We should be the last of your worries. Your wedding is about you and no one else."

"Ain't that the truth!" Garet yelled through a full mouth.

The three of them continued talking and laughing for many hours into the day. Ivan eventually joined them after his lengthy nap, and the four of them spoke of things ranging from the upcoming wedding to what Garet's kids might look like.

"No, no, no, Garet Junior is gonna look exactly like me!" shouted Garet.

"I hope he gets his mother's brains then," laughed Ivan. All of them, including Garet, laughed together, sharing one of the few moments when the four of them could just be themselves.

When the laughs began to calm down, Isaac was able to wipe away a tear and speak up, "Hey, it was great catching up with you guys, but it's getting a bit late for me. If I wanna get back home before dark, I'll have to leave now."

Isaac stood, but was surprised to see Garet stand with him. "I should probably head out too. After all, Jenna's probably been waiting for me to come back."

Ivan and Sam walked their two friends to the door before saying goodbye and thanking them for their efforts. Isaac decided that he'd walk with Garet until they reached his house.

"You nervous?" he asked his Mars companion.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little. I'm more anxious just to see her. I've been separated from her for almost as long as you and Mia have been, so I just want to see her again. I really want to make things work. Being away from her has really opened my eyes. Seeing how happy Ivan and Sam are, and seeing how eagerly you're waiting for Mia to get back has made me realize how much I want to share my life with Jen. I won't make any promises that my proposal will be soon, but I won't back down this time. If I find a good opportunity, I'm gonna go for it; this I promise."

Isaac couldn't help his lips from curling upwards. Garet wasn't big on speeches, but he was surprisingly good at making them. It warmed his heart to see just how much his friend had grown up since youth. He was finally embracing his manhood. A few minutes after Garet's speech, the two of them reached the front of his house. Despite the powerful speech, Isaac noticed his friend hesitate slightly.

"You're sure you're ready?" he asked him.

"To be perfectly honest, no. But if I keep putting this confrontation off, then things will only get worse. It's time for me to grow a pair and just get 'er done."

The Venus adept watched as Garet took a deep breath and unlocked the door to his house. Flashing him a quick thumbs-up, he closed the door behind him and left Isaac to stand outside. After a few minutes without any audible sounds of anger, Isaac determined that his friends had successfully made up, so he headed off in the direction of his home, glad that Garet and Jenna were finally back together.

The only thing that was getting him down was his own relationship. As he walked up the mountain path towards his home, Isaac's mind was once again plagued with thoughts of the azure-haired beauty. While he was glad that his friends were finding such success in their relationships, he couldn't help but feel pain in his heart at the thought of Mia being away for so long. He'd been surrounded by so much love, that he began to feel almost jealous.

He was lonesome.

There was nothing to be jealous of; after all, he was the first one of the group of them to become engaged. Yet the pain of not seeing or speaking to his love in person was driving him insane. He wanted to re-experience the soft touch of her skin, the sweet smell of her hair, and the loving sparkle in her eyes.

As the sun began to set over the mountaintops, Isaac's memory was triggered. The soft orange glow of Sol setting over the horizon had always accented Mia's radiant features. The way it bounced off her creamy skin always made his heart melt, and the experiences he'd had with Mia at sunset were permanently kept in his heart: the day of the ceremony, the bench overlooking Bilibin, and the time he'd asked her to be his girlfriend were just a few that came to mind. He smiled at the memories, but at the same time he could feel his eyes begin to shimmer. Blinking away the lonely tears, Isaac realized that he'd come to the area near Patcher's. Seeking some sort of companionship, Isaac entered the inn to have a few drinks with the owner.

"Hey, look who it is! Haven't seen you in some time, buddy!" Patcher called to him from the bar. Isaac gave him a small smile, but his depressed mood was easily recognizable.

"Looks like you could use a drink, pal. What's eating you?"

Isaac sighed as he sat down at the bar. Patcher was the typical bartending psychiatrist; he knew exactly what kind of drink to get for a sour mood.

"I just miss Mia… you know the drill," he replied solemnly. Patcher simply nodded and slid him a drink.

After Isaac glugged it down, Patcher spoke to him the way he always did when the Venus adept was feeling down. "Well, you know I always say that it's just a matter of time before she comes running back into your arms. Wars are complicated, Isaac. They can take a long time to settle, and I'm sure she doesn't want you to get hurt. Keeping you from danger is the only solution she could think of, so that's what she's going to do until the war is over. Anyway, I can see that that's not the only thing getting to you. There's more to it, isn't there?"

_Ever the observant one, eh, Patcher?_ "Yeah, I guess you could say that. It's just… seeing Ivan and Sam getting closer and closer to their wedding day… I guess I'm a little envious. I wish I could start planning mine, but I have no idea when Mia will be coming home. I can't start doing anything until I know she'll be here. Besides, I can't plan anything without her, it'd be unfair."

"I see. Anything else you wanna get off your chest now?"

"…I suppose there's also Garet and Jenna. The two of them hadn't been on speaking terms for almost as long as Mia's been gone. Just today I made sure that they made up, and now I just feel like I'm alone. My closest friends have each other, but I have no one for me."

"Isaac, you're beating yourself up over nothing. Yeah, it's natural that you'd feel a bit jealous since they can spend all their time together, but you've gotta keep your chin up. Life seems hard right now because you spent every day for ten years with a girl who's been forcefully taken away from you for a year now. You're lonesome not because you can see that everyone else is together, but because you're dealing with a completely new way of living. Just suck it up for a little while longer, and pretty soon you'll have that bride-to-be back in your arms. Doesn't seem like such a bad deal, does it?"

"I wish it seemed better. Everyone keeps telling me she'll be back in no time, but I don't think anyone has had to spend such a long time away from their fiancée. She's everything to me. It nearly destroyed me when I almost lost my parents, but losing her is, dare I say it, so much worse. I wish that I could just see her right now. Even if I could only see her for an hour or two right now, it would help me to get through another long wait."

Patcher refilled Isaac's mug and scratched at his beard in thought. He'd dealt with Isaac's depressing spells a few times before he left for Ivan's mission, but the innkeeper was running out of things to tell him. Being faced with such a specific problem left most of his broad advice out of the question.

"I'm sorry, Isaac, but you've finally managed to stump me. I can't give you any personal advice because, well, I've never been in a situation like yours. I may have an idea though. Don't get the wrong idea, this is purely a bro-talk, but maybe you should explain to me what you're feeling right now. It may seem girly and awkward, but I think I may be able to help you more if you broadened your situation."

Isaac sighed and took another swig of his drink. He supposed that it couldn't hurt to talk about his feelings, but it felt strange to speak about them with someone other than Mia or Garet.

"If it'll help you to help me… I suppose I could… My heart feels heavy, I guess. She's become so insistent on keeping me away that I'm almost suspicious that there's something more to it than just my safety. I trust Mia fully, so I have complete faith that she's not cheating on me; I just wish I knew what she was doing. Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but anyone would be after such a length of time."

"The length of time," he continued, "is also starting to get to me. I feel like we've been apart for what feels like a lifetime, only to realize it's been just one year. One year is still a long time to spend away from someone, but it hurts all the more when you're in love. I've never felt so strongly for anyone in my entire life, and all I wanted to do was spend my days living a normal life with her. I'm torn by my emotions. One part of me wants to run to her as fast as I can, but that would break her trust. The other is telling me to stay here, wallowing in grief and loneliness. I feel like my heart will split in two."

Isaac hung his head; verbalizing his feelings increased the associated emotions tenfold. His knuckles whitened as he clenched the mug handle tighter and tighter. He felt like he would cry, yet no tears came. He shook with emotional pain, but no indication of turmoil was evident on his face. It had taken some time, but he was breaking down, much like he had once before, when he exiled himself.

He felt a palm rest firmly on his shaky shoulder. "Isaac, you're stronger than this. Sol, you saved Weyard from an inevitable destruction and you still burden yourself with false beliefs. You've invested so much of your time into helping and being there for others that now you're torn because you don't know what it's like to do something for yourself. Mia loves you, Isaac, and it's for that reason that she doesn't want anything to happen to you. She's seen you at your worst, and I'm sure that she never wants to see you like that – like this – ever again. You just have to look to the future. It may be hard to do so in the meantime, but you can think of all the things you'll do together when she comes home. I'm sure it'll be far from the 'normal' life you were hoping for, but there's no doubt in my mind that having each other will be enough for the two of you."

Isaac chuckled lightly, feeling his tense body begin to relax slowly. After composing himself and purchasing a few more drinks, the Venus adept thanked the innkeeper and left for his own home.

Isaac held the ring up to the moonlight, silently speaking to it. It had become sort of a ritual; a comforting way in which he could feel that Mia's presence had never left him. Placing it down on the windowsill, he slowly slipped under the blankets of his bed. Before he could fall asleep, however, a light tapping at his window caught his attention. Almost leaping towards the source of the sound, Isaac hastily opened the window to let in Mia's pigeon. Frantically untying it from the bird's leg, he eagerly unfolded it to see the news from his lover.

_Dear Isaac,_

_It's wonderful to hear that you're close to home now. I'm sure by the time this reaches you that you'll already be there. It's strange to think it's been only one year that we've been apart. I feel as though an eternity has passed since I was last in your arms. I miss you dearly, love. Every night I speak to the Gift of Venus as if it's you. You must think I'm silly for doing something like that, but it comforts me in this time of need. I wish I could tell you I'll be home soon, but I can't make any promises. Sometimes the enemy numbers look as though they're diminishing substantially, but more always appear. Know that I would be with you instantly if this war looked as though it would end. Please stay strong for me, Isaac. I know it must be difficult for you, because it's just as painful for me. I can't wait for the day I can come back to you._

_I love you.  
__Mia_

A mixture of relief and sadness washed over Isaac. It was refreshing, to an extent, to know that he was not the only one having a hard time being alone, yet the fact that he was still bothered him. He would wait until the ends of Weyard to see Mia again, but he wasn't sure if his heart could take another unspecified amount of time for her. It hurt so much to be forcibly separated, but there was nothing he could do besides continuing what he already was doing.

Feeling too weary to write a response at this late hour, Isaac gently laid the letter on his desk with the others and returned to his bed. She somehow felt closer to him than ever on this night. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he wasn't alone in his feelings of separation, but whatever the reasoning, Isaac felt his lips curl into a very slight smile as he hugged Mia's pillow. He would wait as long as it took to see his beautiful fiancée again.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

_The toddlers all sat with different expressions on their faces. Tyrell looked only mildly interested by the descriptions of monsters in Imil, Karis had her mouth agape as if she wanted to ask yet another question, and Matthew had had a confused look across his face ever since Isaac had spoken of proposing to Mia. Isaac felt almost guilty for causing his son such mental distress, as it must not have made much sense that the mother of his son was not the woman he was going to marry. In fact, it must have confused him more that Garet was planning to marry his mother._

"_Uncle Isaac," Karis finally managed to form her question, breaking Isaac's train of thought, "how long did it take for Miss Mia to come back here?"_

"_You'll find out soon enough, Karis," said Isaac. "It's all part of the story."_

_Only partially satisfied with Isaac's answer, Karis slumped back onto the couch, puffing her cheeks in impatience._

_Tyrell blinked, realizing something that hadn't really been much of an issue this whole time. "Papa, what did you and Uncle Ivan and Auntie Samantha look like before? We already saw the little picture of Uncle Isaac and Miss Mia, but we never got to see you."_

_Garet scratched the top of his head before telling the children to wait a moment. He quickly got up and walked into his small office before returning with a photo in his hands._

"_This is a group shot of Isaac, Jenna, Ivan, Sam, and I from your Uncle and Aunt's wedding. Here take a look."_

_Karis and Tyrell giggled a bit as they looked over the old photo of their parents and their friends. Matthew gave the photo a passing glance, but was still lost in his confusion._

"_Haha, Tyrell, you and your daddy look exactly the same!" giggled Karis._

"_Yeah, well, you and your mom look the same, Karis!" Tyrell responded just as giggly._

_It was oddly true how each of the children was a spitting image of one of their parents. Tyrell resembled his father, but received his mother's eyes. Karis resembled her mother with her father's eyes. Matthew seemed simply to resemble Isaac identically, with almost no features received from Jenna._

"_It must be a gender genetics thing," said Isaac. "Matthew looks just like me because he's a boy, but m-… er, that is, in general, daughters, like Karis, seem to take after their mothers."_

_Though the toddlers seemed not to notice Isaac's potentially fatal slip-up, Garet had most certainly caught the strange hitch in Isaac's point. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, showing Isaac that he'd noticed something odd. Isaac looked to the Mars adept, but simply held up his hand, indicating that the explanation would come in due time._

"_When are you gonna get to that part, Isaac. I know _that_ had something to do with it," Garet said gruffly._

"_Soon. It'll be explained very soon, I promise. Let me just keep going with the story. I guess since you guys are looking at that picture I'll start from there. Ivan and Sam's wedding was the only thing I was looking forward to…"_

* * *

Whew, present-day Isaac and co. haven't made an appearance since chapter 14! I thought it was appropriate to get a bit of banter from them in here again. It seemed like Isaac's secret needed to be brought back up in case any of you forgot about it.

Damn, this was kind of a long chapter, which is weird because I had about three writer's blocks while I was writing it, and that was pretty annoying. On a different note, I'm sure you all know that this story is nearing its final stages. I'm not sure of an exact number for chapters, but it will definitely not be much more. Basically after Matthew is born (remember Isaac is gonna be 31 and he's currently 29) Isaac's story is over, and then there'll probably only be one or two chapters after that. I'm still contemplating if I want to write appendices for this or not, but it's starting to lean more towards no because I'd much rather get started on my next project. In fact, I'm hoping to have either a mudshipping oneshot or the first chapter of my next project up by the time the next chapter for this is posted.

I actually have two projects in mind, so I might work on them simultaneously once this story is completely finished. One is going to be the first in a series of GS crossovers, so I'm not expecting that to be much of a hit since crossovers get way less attention than single games. The other project is a KH story for Roxas and Naminé (I wanted to do a SoKai story but the idea I planned out worked much better for RokuNami). So please, if you're a KH fan, I ask that you check out that story once I start it up! I haven't got a name for it yet, but it'll be on my profile page, and I'll probably mention it in the last chapter for this story.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who's still sticking around! I'm not sure if this story will take off even more once it's complete, but who knows. I'm just looking to the future and I love hearing critique on my work, so review, review, review!

Also check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	19. Rise and Fall

Hey everyone! Sorry if the chapters have seemed a bit dry and angsty lately. I'm ashamed to admit that I've been gradually losing inspiration for this story as it's progressed. I'd like to say that it's only because Isaac and Mia are separated so I'm not sure exactly what to write about, but it's also because I've been getting caught up with other plans I have. I kind of dug my own grave by knowing this would be a depressing story, so I think I'll stick to more cheerful ones after this :P

Oh and also, thanks to those of you who checked out my other story, _Clear as Mud_. It's quite a bit more detail-oriented than this story, which I think you'll find enjoyable if you really like knowing every thought that crosses the characters' minds. It even got it's first favourite within an hour or so of being posted *tear of joy*. I like it because it's not depressing :)

Quick note: I see this chapter as more of an intro that leads up to the next one. I personally thought this one was lame, but love how the next one is coming along, so think of this as part I of II.

And it's time for another gaming update! Anyone here like Fire Emblem? I preordered Awakening so I received it on the 31st (it doesn't go on sale in stores until the 4th) and I've just been playing through it like a mofo. Seriously, if you have a 3DS, buy this game! It's definitely the best in the series and I'm only halfway through it! For those of you who don't know the FE series, I'd recommend trying it out because it's a fun SRPG series and is very open for shippings. In fact, you can basically ship any guy with any girl you feel like in game through the support system. I'd say start out with The Blazing Sword (simply known as Fire Emblem outside of Japan, for GBA), as it's a good game to start out with; not too hard, not too easy, and contains all the basic elements that future games expand upon. For those who are curious, in order from least to most favourite, I've played Shadow Dragon (DS), Sacred Stones (GBA), Blazing Sword (GBA), Fuuin no Tsurugi (GBA), Path of Radiance (GC), Heroes of Light and Shadow (DS), Radiant Dawn (Wii), and Awakening (3DS). I think I started playing Thracia 776 (SNES) but never got around to playing past the first or second chapter.

Thanks to **AnriMia24 **and **Mr0cheese** for reviewing! And don't worry; Jenna's not getting pregnant quite yet. There are a few things that need to be settled before that can happen.

So, yeah, onwards we go!

Disclaimer: Just… no

* * *

"And do you, Ivan, take Samantha to be your lawfully wedded wife, to forsake all others, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Then, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

A thunderous applause erupted as Ivan and Sam pulled their faces together in a feeling of pure joy and love. Isaac couldn't help but grin widely as he stood beside his newly married friend. He briefly turned around to look at Garet, only to see what appeared to be the Mars adept wiping a happy tear from his eye. The Venus adept chuckled lightly and turned back towards the married couple. Despite all the feelings of envy he once held towards Ivan and Sam, those negative feelings were quickly washed away with gladness at seeing his friends in their moment of love and happiness.

And for the first time since Mia had left, Isaac could honestly say that he was genuinely glad.

This moment wasn't about him, after all. Why should he always wallow in pain when others around him were so happy? Surely he would have preferred if Mia could be there with them, but that was beyond his power. Besides, he and Mia would have their moment soon enough, though he hoped it wouldn't be as crowded as the lavish wedding that Ivan and Samantha had put on.

Four months after Isaac and Garet's return from Morgal, the residents of New Vale had finished settling into Kalay completely, and one month later Ivan and Sam had made their wedding open to all who wished to attend. Of course, with Ivan being the adopted son of the rulers of Kalay, almost the entire city had attended. Even an unexpectedly great number of Sam's family from Tolbi had come to attend, nearly filling the sanctum hall with only relatives of the two lovebirds. Of course, out of those who attended, the Warriors of Vale plus Patcher and a few of Sam's friends had all been chosen as bridesmaids and groomsmen.

"Hey, congrats, my man!" Patcher called to Ivan as they gathered around for the reception.

"It's certainly a big day for all of us," said Isaac, patting the groom on the back.

"Man, I never thought I'd admit it, but I was crying like a baby out there!" Garet laughed. "Who'd have thought that little Ivan would be the first one of us to get married?"

"Marriage, a most admirable stepping stone indeed," Piers mused.

"Awe, thanks guys. I honestly don't think I could have done it without any of you. Ever since our adventure I've just been growing stronger and stronger, and having you as my groomsmen was just that last little boost that I needed," Ivan replied, a seemingly permanent grin plastered to his face.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly, filled with entertainment, mirth, and joyfulness. Patcher and Isaac found themselves the last two guests to leave as they slowly headed up the moonlit path towards their homes. Saying goodnight to the de facto leader of the mountain community, Isaac made his way towards the tunnel that would lead to his cabin.

Now that the only thing he'd looked forward to was over, Isaac felt his mood start to wane a bit. With something to look forward to, he'd been able to keep himself occupied one way or another, but now that it was over he wasn't sure what to do. As always, he missed his angel, but he wasn't sure when she'd be back. It could be countless days for her return, and the Venus adept could only observe Mt. Aleph so many times before boredom and loneliness set in. True, he was able to get a closer look with the newly completed soarwing, but the volcano wasn't exactly the most interesting thing to observe. The most activity he'd seen from it lately was a few rocks spewing out the top, but nothing notably alarming or dangerous.

He sighed as he unlocked the door and made his way towards the fireplace. It was something he'd always used to do with her wherever they went: curl up by a warm fire and keep each other company. He could almost hear her humming that sweet tune as she went to prepare a kettle over the fireplace. What had she called the song again? Winterly Imil or something like that. Mia told him that her mother used to sing the tune to her as a child, but she had long since forgotten the words. It didn't really matter to him, as Mia had a beautiful voice whether she was humming, singing, or just plain speaking. Oh, how he missed her voice. He longed for the day when it would grace his ears again.

Isaac lazily poked at the logs in the fireplace, watching as the embers burst upwards in a spectacle of miniature fireworks, much like the ones he'd used when he proposed to her. Everything he did seemed to associate itself with Mia, no matter what he thought about. He just wished she'd come home soon. It was killing him to spend so long away from her. Isaac knew that he was edging on thirty, and Mia would follow soon after. Their birthdays were only a couple months apart, so it pained him to know that both of them would probably miss each other again, as they had for both of their twenty-ninths.

"What am I doing wrong, Quartz?" Isaac spoke aloud. A light flash emitted beside him as Quartz appeared.

"_You aren't doing anything wrong, Isaac; if anything, the pain you're feeling is the right thing. Anyone can see that only true love would make you feel the way you're feeling right now."_

"But I just want to stop hurting and longing for her. I'm not saying that I don't love her, but I feel like I should be looking forward to the day when she returns instead of grieving for the fact that she's gone. I tried, you know I did, but I was kidding myself by pretending I wasn't in pain."

Quartz paused for a moment, furrowing her 'brow' to show she was thinking. _"Um, it may not be the best idea, but perhaps I could call one of Mia's djinn over here. I'm not sure if it'll help you at all, but I don't really know what else to say that Patcher hasn't already told you."_

Isaac thought for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to speak to one of Mia's djinn, but what was he supposed to say to them? In his head he thought it might help a bit, but in truth it would be no different than writing letters to her. Shaking his head, Isaac turned back towards the small Venus djinni.

"Thanks for the offer, Quartz, but I don't think it'll help. Besides, I don't want Mist to jump at the opportunity to bash on me. I don't think I could take it right now if she decided to blow up with insults and such."

Quartz, not quite sure what to do, just waited until Isaac waved his hand over her, signaling that it was okay for her to go back to wherever it was that djinn hid when they were not in battle. He sat alone again, staring at the orange flames that licked the bricks lining his chimney. What was he supposed to do without her? He'd already gone on an entire adventure and come back, but it still seemed as though Mia was far from returning.

"A year and a half," he muttered to himself, "what's another year without her? I might as well get used to this because it seems like this is what it's gonna be like for quite some time."

He stayed like that, muttering depressing things until his eyelids began to droop and he felt his head fall back. The stairs suddenly seemed far away, and the room became dark as he fell into an uneasy slumber.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Isaac? Hey, Isaac, wake up. Isaac… c'mon, man, get up already! ISAAC!"

Said Venus adept was roughly shaken awake by what felt like an earthquake. He groggily opened his eyes to see Garet standing over him, his strong hand still on the Venus adept's shoulder from shaking him awake.

"Ugh, finally you're up. Man, you must've been out cold."

He wasn't really sure what Garet was talking about, but as he went to sit up, a massive pulsing, swelling feeling took over his head. Garet immediately noticed and lay the Venus adept back down on the couch.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy there, big guy, you're gonna knock yourself out. Had a little too much to drink last night I can see."

Isaac blinked confusedly at his friend. He was… hung over? He'd only had a few glasses of champagne that they used to toast the newly wedded couple.

"Too much? Garet, I only had two glasses of champagne! If I recall correctly, it was _you_ who let yourself go at the wedding!" Isaac's own shouting caused another throb to pulse itself through his head, causing him to groan in pain and rub his temples.

Garet however looked down at his friend in the utmost confusion. Isaac wasn't sure why his friend had that look on his face, but the Mars adept's expression quickly changed from confusion to amusement. Before he knew it, his moustached friend was laughing, though lightly so not to hurt Isaac's head.

"Wedding?! Man, I knew something was up when I hadn't heard any news from you in a while. Isaac, I'll try to clear this up for you. I wasn't with you last night. In fact I haven't seen you for three months now!"

Isaac's eyes shot open. He couldn't have heard that right. Three months? But he was just at the wedding last night, how could Garet have been gone for three months?!

Noticing his friend's obvious confusion, Garet continued, "Gee, if I'd have known you were this depressed about Mia I wouldn't have left your side, Isaac. Ivan and Sam have been married for six months. You must've been dreaming or something, because I have no idea how you thought all of that happened last night. Have you… have you been drinking every day, Isaac?"

Foggy memories started to creep back into Isaac's mind as he tried to remember the past six months. Scattered remnants came to him, so he tried as best he could to piece it together for the concerned Mars adept standing over him.

"I, uh… I don't really know. I suppose that would probably answer your question though. I guess tried to keep myself occupied after Ivan's wedding, but I only kept myself busy for some short amount of time. After that I must've started drinking heavily enough that everything from the wedding to now is just a blur."

Garet crossed his arms, showing signs of disappointment towards his alcoholic friend. Isaac was the last person anyone thought might wind up as a drunkard, but here he was, lying on his couch after another night of drinking himself stupid. It certainly seemed unbecoming of someone with the titles of Captain, Lord, and the Master of Earth. The Venus adept was ashamed to admit it, but he felt like he and Garet had switched roles at some point, since Garet now seemed like more of the casual drinker. Isaac couldn't even recognize himself anymore.

"I can't believe you, Isaac," Garet scolded. "It's one thing to do nothing except act all bored and depressed, but turning to binge drinking is not what anyone expected of you. I'm actually curious now, have you and Mia still been writing to each other? If you can't even remember a day of the past six months, I'm almost afraid to see some of the things you've tried writing to her."

Isaac motioned to his room to indicate that any letters he may have written or received would be upstairs. Garet swiftly made his way upstairs, careful not to make too much noise. Now that he thought about it, Isaac couldn't remember if he had been writing to Mia. He feared more than anything to worry her with a lack of his communication. She would assume the worst, probably thinking that Mt. Aleph erupted again and took out the cabin with it. It was a lot for his drunken twenty-nine – no, he must've been thirty by now if it really had been six months – to take in. The sound of Garet's footsteps descending the stairs made Isaac hold his breath. He was relieved, then, to see his friend holding a stack of papers that seemed much thicker than it had been the last he remembered.

"Well, lucky for you, you don't seem to have come off as a drunkard in your letters, judging from Mia's regular-sounding responses. You better get clean, though, Isaac. Whether Mia's coming back soon or not, you can't spend all your time – not to mention gold – on regretful nights of drinking and hating yourself. I'm gonna tell Patch what's been going on and make sure that his new bartender doesn't sell you anything. I'll be damned if you try to get alcohol some other way."

With that, Garet stormed out of the house, dropping the stack of letters on Isaac's chest. He must have assumed that Isaac didn't remember any of the contents, so Isaac was thankful that he left them for him to look over. He rapidly flipped through the unrecognizable papers and read over Mia's words carefully. How it warmed him to see that she'd never stopped writing to him, even while he was a drunken mess. It must have taken him quite an effort not to appear as though something was wrong when he was writing his to her (though in a few of her letters she noted that his penmanship was sometimes messy and difficult to read). Oddly enough, the last letter she'd sent him was dated back to two months ago.

An uneasy feeling crept into his chest at that point. What if he'd stopped writing to her, or what if he'd said something to ruin things between them? Doing his best to ignore his hangover, Isaac quickly got a glass of water and headed upstairs to investigate his room for any signs of a recent letter.

What he found was a bedroom in tatters. The blinds were bent in the middle, allowing for sunlight to shine through some spots; there were bottles lying everywhere; and his mattress was clearly stained with spilled booze. The smell of lingering alcohol nearly made him throw up, but Isaac held it in as he carefully shuffled through his drawers and cupboards. The only thing he could tell was that he had written to her some time ago, as his dried out quill lay beside a blank piece of parchment on his desk. However, his pigeon was nowhere to be seen. Though he assumed that this was an indication that he had responded to her, the thought that his drunken self may have released or accidentally killed the bird was something he could not overlook.

With nothing left to find at the cabin, Isaac threw on his blue, armoured trench coat and left his house, making sure to lock the door behind him. Maybe Patcher would have answers for him; after all, Isaac had apparently been frequenting the place over the past months. It couldn't hurt to try, and he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be tempted to buy a drink. Quickly as he could, Isaac set out from the cabin and down the path.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

It was dark outside, and Isaac was exhausted from all the running around he'd been doing that day. After trying to get some information from the new bartender (though, the unfamiliar bartender had apparently been serving him for the past while), he made his way down to Kalay to see if anyone had heard anything about him over the past few months. Apparently, no one could think of anything regarding him other than that he hadn't shown his face around anywhere for the past half year.

Disappointed with his findings, Isaac trudged up the mountain path, head hung low in disappointment as he walked. No one had been able to give him much helpful information, and from the limited things everyone had been saying, he'd just been living like a hermit, only going out to get himself drunk before going back home. For all he knew his relationship with Mia was destroyed. How could he possibly have screwed up the one perfect thing in his life? She made him stay so that he'd be safe, but he may as well have gone after her to Imil since he'd broken his promise to be safe anyway. He was a danger to himself without her guidance.

Isaac sighed as he passed by the lively community nestled in the rock face. He watched as a laughing child ran out of a doorway, soon followed by her smiling father. The parent roared and picked her up, pretending to eat her as she squealed in giddiness. He swung her around and gave her a big kiss on the cheek before a voice caught both of their attentions. A pretty woman stood in the doorway of the house, a baby boy in her arms. The father let his daughter down so she could run back and the two parents shared a light kiss as he took his son from her. The family quietly re-entered their house and closed the door behind them, completely unaware of the Venus adept who had watched them from afar.

_Mia… I hope someday we can be like that. All I ever wanted was to have a loving family and live like a normal man. Why must all this pain and sadness exist in my life? I'm burdened with such horrible loneliness, and all I ever wanted was love. I don't know if I drove you away, but I'm truly sorry for anything stupid I may have said. I know you can't hear me, but know that I love you, Mia, and I always will._

Isaac sadly sniffled and wiped his nose before dragging his feet towards the tunnel. He never thought that he'd asked for much in his life, just to be a normal person living a normal life. Before he met Mia, it didn't matter whom it would be with, just so long as he loved the woman he was with. Now that he'd met his soulmate though, it just seemed impossible to picture himself with anyone else.

He shook his head as he entered the crystalline tunnel. _No, no more depressing thoughts. Being depressed is what wound me up here in the first place. I do need Mia, but I can't have her if I don't get my act together. All I've done for the past two years is mope and complain about how my life is terrible. If I don't pick myself up, then I don't deserve someone like Mia. Right, starting now, I'm a changed man. I'm going to clean up my act and make sure that Mia returns to someone who deserves her love._

Keeping his chin up, Isaac exited the tunnel with a newfound confidence. He almost laughed at his strange new strength as he crossed the bridge towards his cabin. Stopping in the middle, he gazed out towards Mt. Aleph. The volcano was like him; it brimmed with power but kept it all inside. He needed to let his feelings out at a regular, healthy rate or he would end up like the volcano, bursting and potentially destroying everything around him that he once held dear. Tossing a rock over the canyon, Isaac casually paced towards his cabin.

Upon reaching it however, he was surprised to find the door unlocked. He was almost certain that he'd locked it when he left, and there were only a few people other than himself that had keys. He cautiously pushed open the door and unsheathed the small knife on his belt. Someone was definitely here. The lantern by the bookshelf hadn't been on when he left, and he definitely hadn't left the back window open.

"Isaac…" came a voice by the kitchen doorway.

Said adept quickly spun towards the source of the voice and held the knife up over his head. But what he saw made him start to shake and shiver. He felt paralyzed, not sure if he should be saying something or running towards them. The knife clattered to the floor as his clammy hand lost its grip on the handle and fell to his side. The speaker, realizing Isaac was frozen in place, chuckled and started pacing towards him.

"I was planning to surprise you, but I didn't realize you'd be so… how should I put it, immobile."

He felt his throat dry, disabling him from speaking when the other person closed the door. His heart was just about ready to burst out of his chest. Was he afraid? Why should he be afraid? Where had all that newfound confidence gone? So much for that pep talk. He was feeling about as brave as a kitten and stable as a cooked noodle. If not for his muscles being stuck in their current position, Isaac was sure he would've collapsed to the floor.

"Aren't you going to say something? I was hoping we'd be able to have a conversation," laughed the speaker. "I suppose it _has_ been some time, but it almost looks as though you've forgotten me. I certainly hope that isn't it, for I couldn't forget about you if I tried. Or is it that my sudden appearance has left you speechless? If that's the case, then I'm flattered."

Isaac continued staring, still unsure how to react. That long, azure hair; those piercing, blue eyes; and familiar white robes left the Venus adept in what could be best described as a trance. He wanted to do something, anything, but his body seemed to disobey him. A gesture would suffice if he could move, but the paralysis still hadn't left his body. After what seemed like minutes of silence, he finally managed to stammer out a single word, though his dry throat hurt as he muttered it. It was such a fluid motion for his tongue that he wasn't sure why he hadn't been able to say it before. Without another thought, the sound escaped his dry throat.

"M-Mia?"

* * *

Oh shiiiiiiiiiiii- Mia's finally back! In case you were wondering, yes, I was trying to make it seem like Alex had come back and invaded his house. Sorry if that made Mia seem a little OOC, but now that you know it's her, reading that in her tone of voice should still seem at least somewhat characteristic :P

Man, I wasn't going to have her come back just yet, but I honestly couldn't think of any more angsty things for Isaac to whine and complain about. I was also running out of things to have him do in the meantime lol. I apologize if you find my time jumping lazy, but I'm sure that most of you, like me, are tired of waiting for his fiancée to return to his life.

To be honest, I rather disliked this chapter while writing it. I couldn't get into it at all, but I couldn't find a better way to have it work up to Isaac and Mia reuniting. It's also really short because of that, so I apologize dearly. I know that I probably shouldn't post a chapter until I'm happy with it, but I don't think I could've been happy with this chapter, it's just the way this one plays out. Besides, the next chapter is a direct continuation of this one, and it will be much more dramatic than all of this other stuff I've been writing.

The main point of everything, though, was to get Isaac and Mia reunited again. Sorry for all those depressing filler chapters for the past while, but they were kind of leading up to this moment. I had to ingrain the feeling of desperation and loneliness felt by Isaac into your souls. Things should start to pick up from here (by pick up I mean get more interesting, not necessarily uplifting), so hopefully I haven't bored everyone out of their minds from the last few chapters.

So, what did you guys think? Did you dislike this chapter as much as I did, or did you actually like it? I'd like it if more than just my regulars reviewed because I seem to only get the same two or three people reviewing every time. Not that I don't like you two, in fact you're my favourite people :), but it would be nice to hear what the other readers think of this, too. Don't think I don't know that you other people are reading this, I can see the statistics on my story page :P

Please review and check out my soundcloud (two new songs)! Oh and if you haven't already, I respectfully ask that you also read my other story, _Clear as Mud_. It's not at all depressing or related to this one :)

_-GengaJupite_


	20. Desolation

Alright, it's time to make this story popular-ish again! I'm finally happy to announce that it will begin to pick up from here, though there are not many chapters left. One note about these chapters is that they'll probably start feeling very quick, and that's because of all the time jumping that's going to be taking place. I don't plan on writing more god-awful chapters about how depressed Isaac was during the time in between major events, so I'm just going to skip any filler parts that I deem unnecessary. Yay for progress! Also, I used the song _**Musique pour la Tristesse de Xion**_ from Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days as a sort of inspiration while writing this (basically had it on replay the entire time :P). It's a sad song, and I think it complements this chapter very well, so maybe have a listen to that while you read.

On a different note, I'm leaving for a trip this Friday (woo Disneyworld! :P), so I'm gonna say don't expect the next chapter for at least a week and a half after that (two weeks tops). I don't plan to bring my laptop with me, and I probably wouldn't be writing much if I brought it anyway, so I suppose you'll just have to put up with however the ending for this chapter goes.

On another different note, I just heard about Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix about a week ago. At first I was like 'OMG! I need to get a PS3 for when this comes out in NA because I'll be damned if I can't replay KH and reCoM in HD and then watch two and a half hours of 358/2 Days cutscenes!' but then I saw a video that is supposedly going to be the launch video for the PS4 release on Feb. 20th or something. Then my thought was more like '…this thing better be backwards compatible with PS3… I'm not gonna waste my money on a PS3, if it's successor comes out by the end of the year…' so basically I have to play the waiting game. I'm also waiting on the Wii U to release some worthy games. No use in buying an entire system for two or three games…

So, to sum that all up, this story will be progressing fairly quickly from now on, I won't be updating until I'm back from my trip, Square Enix better announce KH 1.5 for NA soon (as well as start working on KHIII, come on guys it's been like eleven years since the first one), Sony better announce a backwards compatible PS4, and I'm waiting on some quality games before I buy a Wii U (like the Wind Waker remake).

And a final warning type thing; there is some suggestiveness right at the beginning of the chapter. It's not so much an implication as a blatant telling of the event. That doesn't mean I'm going in detail and stuff, I just mean… it's kinda hard to explain, so maybe just read the chapter. I promise there's nothing X- or M-rated (unless suggestiveness counts as M).

Thanks for reviewing!  
**AnriMia24:** Ah, Anri, you never cease to please me with your consistent reviews :). Hopefully you'll forgive me for Isaac's characterization; I can't say if he's going to change much or not because it would spoil the ending if I did, so just keep on holding onto hope. This story will never be a disappointment to me, and I can assure you that it will be completed. Yes, there's sections I would've liked to improve, but that's just a natural thing. Besides, this is the turning point in the story where things start to get a little more interesting ;)

Disclaimer: Perhaps one day I'll become a huge corporate leader of every gaming company so that I can officially say that I _do_ own the rights to all of these. Then again, I doubt I'd still be writing fanfics if I could just make my own games :P

* * *

Perfection.

Everything was perfect again in Isaac's life. No longer did he have to wonder about the things that kept his love from him. No more did he have to wallow in his grief. He could finally release all his emotions. He could run to her, hold her delicate frame in his arms, feel the softness of her lips upon his. He wanted her to know just how much he'd missed her, how much he longed for her. Simply reaching out his hand would allow him to touch her arm, brush her face, intertwine their fingers. There were so many things he could do in that moment, but what should he choose? One would not be enough; he simply had to do all of them.

And that's exactly what Isaac did.

It had felt like a dream, and he was so afraid of waking up that he held Mia as tightly as he could. He was sure that he'd wept like a little girl, but he didn't care so long as he was once again reunited with the one person who could make everything better. She embraced him delicately, gently rubbing his back as he buried his face in her shoulder. Over his own sobs, he could hear her crying as well. She'd missed him as much as he'd missed her. So long they'd spent apart, and to be reunited again so suddenly overwhelmed the both of them.

Isaac basked in the moment, trying to take everything in. Before he knew it, he'd already begun doing everything he wanted to. He brushed a tear from her soft, beautiful face, interlocked his hand with one of hers, and kissed her with so much emotion that he could almost feel it radiating from his body. He'd never needed someone so badly in his lifetime. All the pain, the agony, the desolation was gone. Everything was truly perfect again.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

The morning sunlight streamed in on Isaac's face, causing the Venus adept to slowly awaken. He rubbed his eyes to wipe the sleep away, yawning as he sat up a bit. The first thing he realized when his vision was clear was that he was in an unfamiliar room. It took him only a moment to realize that he was in the spare bedroom instead of his own. Then a sad thought struck him.

Had it all been a dream?

Had he really just slept in a different bed that night for no reason? Other than the smell of alcohol in his bedroom, there was no real reason that he would sleep downstairs. No, it had to be real. Such happiness couldn't have been caused by a dream, could it? He remembered being with Mia, holding her in his arms, kissing her lips for real. How could a dream seem so vivid?

What happened next made him feel like an idiot for even questioning the reality of last night. A light groan came from beside him, and a soft arm curled over his torso, his _bare_ torso. He smiled as he turned to face the sleeping Imilian beauty lying beside him. The white sheets and pillows looked like puffy clouds, giving Mia the true appearance of a sleeping angel. Isaac brushed some hairs off of her face, careful not to wake her.

Things from yesterday were starting to make sense now. He hadn't received a letter from Mia for two months because she was trying to surprise him. He was extremely lucky that Garet had decided to show up and talk some sense into him, or Isaac would have continued being a drunken mess for when Mia arrived. Had that been intentional? Perhaps Mia had told Garet that she was coming back and asked him to check up on the Venus adept. Regardless of whether that was an intentional checkup or not, Isaac was grateful that all the pieces seemed to be coming together. Even the heap of clothes on the floor seemed to make sense.

Well, that's because those were a reminder of the most sensible thing Isaac could remember from yesterday.

He blushed at the thought. He didn't need to look under the blankets to check for his underwear because he knew it wasn't there. There was just such a huge release of emotion that it would have made less sense if they _hadn't_ done it. Despite Mia being a healer, Isaac had to admit that even she must have been holding in a lot of emotion if she had gone through with… it. It wasn't like healers didn't; they just usually saved themselves until after marriage. _Whatever, it's not a scandal as long as no one finds out. Besides, we'll be married soon enough._

Mia stirred slightly, snapping Isaac out of his thoughts. He felt her arms squeeze tighter around his torso as she groaned again and buried her face in the pillow. How cute. Isaac chuckled to himself as he moved closer to her face. The feeling of her nude body squishing against his was, well, sexy, but at the same time it was making him feel a bit awkward.

"Good morning, love," Isaac sang lightly. He couldn't help himself, he was just too happy and his heart was aflutter.

"Mmf-ffrmf-mmf," came the incomprehensible mumble from Mia's pillow.

Chuckling, Isaac reached his hand around her head so he could turn her face towards him. After getting her to face him, he softly coaxed her, "C'mon, Mia, open your eyes. Don't you want to see me?"

He watched as she slowly opened her stunning, crystal-blue eyes. She stared at him blankly for a few seconds before a small smile formed on her lips. Isaac could feel her arms squeeze him tight for a moment before he noticed a blush forming on her cheeks. Despite her reddening face, Mia's smile didn't fade, proving to him that she'd slept with him because she wanted to as well. The blush really didn't mean much, since he was still blushing as well.

"Good morning, Isaac," she said softly, followed by a yawn.

He kissed her delicately on the forehead. Now that they'd released all of their pent-up emotions, he wanted to ease back into things. Of course he was still elated that she was there with him, but he was wary of being too forward with her. She should be treated like a queen, in his eyes. A rumbling in his stomach caused him to chuckle a bit.

"Are you hungry, Mia? I should probably make us some breakfast."

"That'd be nice. I'm a bit hungry after all my travels and… last night."

Giving her another kiss, Isaac slid out of bed, wincing at the unexpectedly cold air. It must've been because he wasn't wearing anything. Though the two lovers had seen each other in this state last night, Isaac couldn't help but blush at the fact that his bare backside was facing Mia. It didn't help much that the cold air was also turning his skin red, giving his entire body a red blush. Quickly as he could, Isaac scooped up his briefs and threw them on so that he was at least covering his unmentionables from direct sight. Hastily putting on his pants (his shirt didn't seem to be anywhere) he turned back towards Mia, only to see her beet-red face staring back at him, her hands holding the blanket up to cover her chest. Blushing madly, Isaac tossed her camisole, dress, and underwear onto the bed before hurrying out of the room.

_Man, I don't even remember doing some of this stuff,_ Isaac thought to himself as he eyed the things in the hallway. Mia's robe and cardigan were thrown on the floor leading towards the spare bedroom. His trench coat lay not far from them, along with his shirt. The fact that his shirt had already come off before they were even in the bedroom made him blush in embarrassment. _You don't mess around, do you, buddy?_ Garet's voice echoed in his head.

As Isaac picked up the clothes and headed into the living room, he noted some other things that they had apparently knocked over during their moment. The coat hanger, a now-cracked flowerpot, and a chair were just a few of the things that seemed to have been knocked about by their… loving…

Trying as best he could to avoid thinking of how they managed to make such a mess, Isaac dropped the clothing on the couch and made his way into the kitchen. Had he known Mia was coming, he would've bought some things while he was in Kalay or at least gone out hunting. All he seemed to have was some dried meat, a few bread rolls, and some fruit. After searching on his porch and in the cupboards, he managed to scrounge together some mint leaves and a single stalk of celery. So much for hospitality. Sighing, Isaac filled his kettle with water and placed it over the fireplace. Maybe he could at least rehydrate the meat. How was he supposed to treat Mia like a queen if he didn't even have the supplies to satisfy himself?

In truth, he knew that she wouldn't mind at all, but it made him feel like a bum to give her such a basic meal after she'd been travelling for two months. It was probably the same sort of thing she had to eat while travelling. Why was he getting so worked up about this anyway? On any given day he would've cared less what they ate for breakfast, so why was it so important today? It wasn't like he was trying to make a good first impression; after all, this was Mia, the girl he'd been dating for ten years!

_Wow, it's already been ten years… To think that we were supposed to get married three years ago; it's almost like a dream. Who stays engaged for three years?! I suppose I can't really treat it like that since we weren't even together for the past two. Still, it's been far too long. Oh, the ring!_

Isaac ran upstairs to retrieve the ring before finishing up with breakfast and taking it over to Mia. As he'd suspected, she really didn't seem to notice just how basic the meal was, relieving him of his ridiculously reasoned stress.

"Isaac," Mia sighed as they sat by the fireplace after breakfast.

"Yes, Mia?" he responded, placing his arm around her. This would usually be when she rested her head on his shoulder, but for whatever reason she didn't this time.

"I, um…" she glanced at him somewhat uneasily, causing a pang of fear in his heart. "Never mind. I-It's nothing."

"You can tell me, Mia. You can always trust me."

"I know, I'm sorry, Isaac. It doesn't seem like a good time right now though. I promise I'll tell you later, okay?"

He eyed her nervously, but shrugged it off as best he could. Reaching into his pocket, Isaac retrieved the engagement ring he'd brought from upstairs.

"You said you'd be wanting this back," he said, taking her hand so he could put it on her, "so I kept it safe until I could see you again."

She stared down at the gleaming ring on her hand. Isaac leaned forward a bit so he could see her face more clearly. Her eyes were shimmering and a smile graced her lips, but something seemed off. He was sure that the tears in her eyes were of joy, but something about the way he was reading her face was conveying sadness rather than happiness or relief.

"Are you all right, Mia?" he asked, figuring it couldn't hurt to do so.

Mia was silent, seemingly caught up in her own little world. Isaac felt a bit uncertain, so he cleared his throat and asked again, "Uh, Mia?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry, Isaac. Yes, I-I'm fine, I just needed a moment. I… I thought I might never see this ring again."

Something was definitely off about Mia today. She and he were both terrible liars, so Isaac knew right away that that wasn't why she'd gotten emotional over the ring. Why was she acting so strangely? It wasn't like them to keep secrets from each other. They never had before, so why the need to when they're together again? It hurt him to know that she was hiding something, but he didn't want to question her any further. Something was clearly causing her pain, but she didn't want to share it with him. Under normal circumstances he would push her to tell him, but there was something odd about this, and he wasn't sure if trying to get her to say what was wrong would be the best option.

Sighing in defeat, he slumped back on the couch and rubbed his face. "Oh, okay…" He hadn't realized last night, due to some emotional reasons, but a question now surfaced in his mind. "Hey, Mia, where's all your stuff? Did you put it upsta-"

"Let's go for a walk," she cut him off quickly.

Stunned by her sudden interruption, Isaac stared at her for a moment, now more confused than ever by her strange behaviour. He had never seen her act like this before. The girl he fell in love with was always caring, kind, and warm-hearted. Why did she seem so distant all of a sudden? Fear formulated itself in Isaac's heart as he quickly recognized the similarity of his situation with Jenna. He prayed that there was no correlation between these two situations. There could be a million reasons why Mia was hurting. He shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions.

Yet the fear of knowing how it had gone the first time still replayed in his mind. "Sure," Isaac gulped, "we could go down to see everyone. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to know you're back."

"Um, could we maybe go just the two of us? I'd like to spend some alone time with you before we meet up with the others. It's been a while since I've gotten any." A smile came to her lips as she turned to look at him. It was only slightly relieving to him though, as she still had that sorrowful tone in her voice.

"Yeah, uh, I'd like that," he replied, scratching his head.

Without another word, the two of them stood up from the couch and went to grab their jackets. Isaac quickly ran upstairs to get the knife that he'd returned up there. Strapping it onto his belt, he came back downstairs to see Mia coming out of the spare bedroom, a sad look on her face.

"Everything all right, Mia? I know I've asked a few times now, but I just can't shake the feeling that something's eating away at you."

She shook her head in response, "D-don't worry, I'll tell you later. I'm just not… ready to yet."

Again, the fear shot through Isaac's body as he recognized the similarities of being shut out by his lover. He wanted to believe that it was something else, but the doubt in his mind would not allow it. It was eerily similar to how he felt the first time. Of course he hadn't suspected that Jenna was going to leave him, but that feeling of distance they had when she was mad at him was the same as what he now felt with Mia, except Mia wasn't mad.

"Uh, let's just go for that walk then," he said, trying to stay as positive as possible. "There's a nice park in Kalay. It's not near the residential area, so we won't likely run into any of our friends."

Mia nodded in response and lightly stepped towards him. Even in her apparent sadness, Isaac couldn't stop admiring her beauty. It was a melancholic sort of beauty now that both pained and calmed him. It shouldn't have been calming, but Mia always had that effect on him. Taking her hand in his, they slowly left the cabin together and headed down the mountain path.

The park Isaac was talking about was typically a pretty sight, but today it appeared rather sombre. Though it was sunny up on Goma Plateau, the city of Kalay was blanketed with dark storm clouds. It didn't seem as though it would start raining, but the air had a foul mood about it. The browning leaves of the trees twirled as they fell from the deciduous trees lining the pathway. Isaac had never known this place to look so sad, but perhaps it was only because he was still troubled by Mia. Said Mercury adept stared at the ground as they walked hand-in-hand through the gloomy park.

"I'm sorry, Mia. This place usually isn't so… sad-looking. It's usually very pretty. Maybe it changes to fit your mood. You should cheer up!" He was trying to joke to lift her spirits a bit, but it seemed not to work, as she only forced a single breathy chuckle.

"I'm sure it's typically lovely, Isaac," she responded monotonously.

They kept walking until the walkway ended at a gazebo with a few benches inside. Like the park in Bilibin, it was high up and overlooked Kalay. The two places were very similar in the fact that they never seemed to stop growing. Bilibin had already been named a kingdom, and Kalay certainly seemed to be on its way there. The two adepts sat at the bench closest to the lookout point. Neither said anything for a bit; they just stared out at the city. Isaac spoke in attempt to clear the sorrowful feeling from the air.

"I, uh, liked to come here when you were still in Imil. It reminded me a lot of how we were back in Bilibin. We've had so many good memories there; I hope that I never forget them. Of course it was always nicer weather there, but it was the thought that counted. I always felt like you were close by when I could come here and watch the lights twinkle over the city."

"Mm-hmm," said Mia. There was a hitch in her response, quickly followed by a sniffle. Isaac turned to see her biting down on her bottom lip as a tear made its way down her cheek.

"Mia, please tell me what's wrong. I know something's been hurting you all day, but I can't stand by any longer while you're in pain. Please, just… let me help you, Mia. You know I'd do anything for you."

Multiple tears streamed down Mia's face as she absorbed what Isaac had just said to her. He went to wipe them from her face, but Mia was quick to stay his hand. He could then grasp that it had something to do with him. Though he wanted nothing to do with the issue, it appeared as though the problem was central to him. Hands shaking, he raked them through his hair, not even trying to hide the fact that he knew it had to do with him.

"It's me, isn't it? I did something, I must've, otherwise you would've told me what the problem was already."

She shook her head, giving him a slight sense of relief, but that feeling was immediately cut short. What she said next was so heart stopping that Isaac wasn't sure that… well, he wasn't even sure what he was unsure of. It was such an icy pain, that Mia may as well have frozen his heart right there. His eyes filled with tears as the sound of her words replayed themselves in his ears, repeating over and over like a painful, throbbing migraine.

"We can't be together, Isaac."

And it was pure pain that filled his body, numbing his senses to all else. Mia, the beautiful Imilian healer who'd shown him the light, was leaving him. Everything he'd worked for, everything he'd wanted, everything he _needed_ was leaving him. He could feel the tears running down his cheeks, dripping off his chin and crashing onto the ground with his newly crushed dreams. She promised she'd always be there for him and he for her, but now everything was changing.

"W-why?" he managed to stutter through his sharp breaths.

Clearly it was hurting her just as much as him, and that was what didn't make sense to him. If she was hurt so badly, then why did it have to be this way? If she truly loved him, then couldn't they stay together no matter what? What could possibly tear them apart after suffering through two years away from each other? They were finally together for one day, but now it was all crashing down on him. His life was over.

"I-I wish it c-could've been some other way, Isaac, b-but I… I…"

She was trying to continue, but he couldn't make out what she was saying through all the blubbering. He'd learned from his mistakes with Jenna's breakup, but the pain from this cut so much deeper. Ten years of his life were going to waste because of this. He could never look back fondly on all those moments. They would just be painful reminders of what he'd spent a third of his life trying to strive for: a happy ending with the woman he truly loved.

"I-it's not that I d-don't love you, Isaac," she managed to choke out, "b-but I had to c-come see you one last t-time."

"What do you mean, Mia? Why would this be the last time you could see me?"

"B-because Bilibin Cave is c-closing up. The war in Imil n-never ended, b-but I had to see you again. The m-mountains are shifting so quickly that they're crushing the t-tunnel. Once I g-go through it on m-my way back it'll shut for good."

"No," he muttered, seemingly defeated. "Mia, I-I can come with you! I'll start my life over in Imil with you! Together we can fight off the monsters and-"

"I wish it were that simple, Isaac," she said, taking a deep breath so that she could calm her trembling voice. "But something terrible will happen here. You must stay to protect the Wise One…"

"Protect… the Wise One? Mia, what on Weyard are you talking about?!"

"A terrible premonition that both Piers and I had. Only Jupiter adepts are known to have visions of the future, Isaac, so it's unlikely that we coincidentally had the same dream. We both heard the voice of a man plotting to destroy the Wise One. The voice of… _him_."

Isaac knew she was referring to Alex. She never spoke with such loathing towards anyone else. However, none of this was making sense. Alex was dead, anyway. All Isaac knew right then was that he wanted to stay with Mia. He was still trying to cope with the feeling that she was leaving for something as trivial as a premonition shared between Mercury adepts.

"Mia, please, I can make this work. I'll have Garet or Ivan watch after the Wise One. Or I'll watch Mt. Aleph from one of the mountains closer to Imil." Already he knew those things wouldn't work. Garet wouldn't be able to continue his normal life if he was looking out for the Wise One, and if Ivan was living up at the lookout cabin then Sam would have a difficult time getting to Kalay every day. As for watching from Imil, it would be impossible with all the monsters around. There truly seemed to be no solution.

"Mia, I… I need you. I nearly killed myself while you were away. I spent the last six months as an alcoholic because I was so distraught over waiting for you. I can't be away from you again, I just can't! I'm… I'm afraid, Mia."

"Isaac, please stop," she said more tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "I wish there were another way, but the way these things have worked out, I just can't imagine it happening. I love you more than anything, Isaac, but that's why I have to do this. We can never be together, so I need you to move on! I can't keep stringing you along, knowing that it won't work!"

She stood and almost started to go until Isaac quickly grasped her by the wrist. "Mia, I… I'll always love you. I always have loved you, and I will love you until I die. This… this is my worst nightmare come to life. I failed. I couldn't keep my family safe from the eruption, I couldn't keep my promise to be safe while you were away, and now I'm losing you for good."

He could feel her arm shaking in his hand as she turned to look at him one last time. Each syllable of every word cut him like a dagger. "I'm sorry, Isaac, but this is goodbye. Forgive me, my love." With that, she pulled her wrist from his grip and quickly ran out of the park. And just like that, their relationship was over, severed by a cruel fate. As quickly as she'd returned home, she was gone forever from his life.

He wanted to run after her, but he found that his shaking body would not allow him to give chase. The only thing he could do was stare at his open palms as he rested his elbows upon his knees. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his hands as he silently wept. In his hunched position, he failed to realize the three djinn that appeared beside him.

"_Master Isaac…"_ voiced Flint, but Quartz held him back, allowing Mist to speak first.

"_I… I'm sorry… for all that I've said to you. You truly made Miss Mia happy."_

Isaac gave no indication that he would respond, allowing Mist to take her leave of them. Before the other djinn could speak to him, though, Isaac unexpectedly fled the park with as much haste as his legs would allow. He had no interest in staying at that place any longer. It would always be a constant reminder of the worst day of his life. It was a place that would remind him of some of the best days as well, except that they were now painful memories: things he would look upon with remorse.

He'd let her slip through his fingers. The one thing he still held in high regard had gone away from him because he was too powerless to stop it. The pain he'd felt when Mia left the first time was nothing compared to now, because she was gone forever now. He would be lucky if he ever saw her again. In fact, that was the reason she said she was leaving him. They would never see each other again. It was either divorce – no, just a pathetic breakup since they weren't even married yet – because they would never see each other again, or never see each other again so break up. No matter what he could have said or done it wouldn't have worked out.

It was a lonely walk back up the mountain path, lonelier than he'd ever felt before. He'd walked up that pathway countless times, yet none felt so desolate as this. Isaac didn't care though; he didn't want to see anyone right now. Hell, he'd probably never want to see anyone ever again. _What's the point in getting close to people? They just pretend to care about you until you eventually die or have to go your separate ways. I don't have a reason to live anymore. The only one I ever cared about was Mia and now she's gone from my life. I'm nothing without her. Might as well kill me now._ Despite the depressing thoughts and infinite opportunities to hurl himself off a cliff, Isaac instead made his way through the tunnel and across the bridge to his cabin.

Luna was now high in the sky, illuminating the sad scene upon which Isaac was the centerpiece. He sat by the fireplace, skimming over the old letters she'd sent to him. He even still had the ones from when he lived in New Vale. Sol, they were so in love even back then, though they didn't know it at the time. Why did love have a way of turning people around? One minute he's in love with the most beautiful girl in all of Weyard, the next he hates himself for falling for anyone at all.

After reading them over for about the tenth time each, Isaac sighed and turned to go up to his room. He probably still had a few bottles of booze left to drown his sorrows away. What difference would it make now? The only reason he'd stopped drinking was because of Garet, and that was only yesterday morning. It wasn't like he'd exactly gotten clean; he just stopped drinking for two full days. Before he ascended the stairs so he could indulge, however, something caught his eye.

The door at the end of the hallway was open enough that he could see something shining in the moonlight on the pillow. _Great, she left something. Just another stupid reminder that I'll only be able to remember her through her things._

Isaac made his way to spare bedroom and placed the old letters on the nightstand. He could feel his eyes start to water as he recognized the shiny object sitting on the pillow as the locket that she always wore, the one he'd gotten her that resulted in their first kiss… Best to not linger on that thought. Underneath it was a small note with a label that said to read it before opening the locket. Heeding the instructions, Isaac thoroughly read, hoping to fill the void of Mia with these last words she'd written to him.

_Isaac,_

_I know this is hard for you, as it's absolutely devastating for me. I wish I could have made your dreams come true, but sadly fate had other plans for us. I don't know if you'll be angry or sad or scared without me in your life, but I want you to know that I still love you more than anything or anyone else. I hope you regarded the instructions, because I want you to look at the jewel inside as proof of my love for you. I am the last one who touched the jewel; therefore, it is still linked to my heart. As long as you do not touch it, you will always know that I love you._

_Never forget._

_Love Mia_

How it pained him to read those final words. To know that theirs was a forbidden love, unable to exist with the hand fate had dealt them. Isaac wanted to cry out to the heavens to scream at whatever gods had forsaken him. Nothing would bring him relief from this though. Even if he could destroy the one who had caused this terrible destiny, it would never reverse time to give him a better outcome. He would forever live on without the love of his life, cursed to know that she wanted to be with him just as much.

Tears dripped onto the note as he clicked open the locket, careful not to touch anything within it. The old picture of them still remained on the left side. They were so happy back then, so carefree and full of joy. It now seemed more painful than pleasurable to look at it, but he couldn't seem to stop. He also noticed that the colours of the jewel, like Mia had said, were still the same: gold on one half, blue on the other. Before he could think to stop himself, Isaac touched the jewel with his finger, watching as the blue and gold halves switched colours with each other. He never wanted to see Mia fall for someone else, and having it connected to her heart would only leave him with more paranoia than security.

Closing the locket and gathering the letters, Isaac walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He no longer wanted to indulge himself on alcohol; instead, he just wanted to go to sleep. Nothing would wake him from this awful nightmare, so he may as well get the rest that he was depriving himself of. It wasn't like things were going to get better, so he thought it best to simply sleep away his sorrow for tonight. Carefully placing the letters and locket in his nightstand drawer, he crawled into bed, too upset to care about changing into his nightclothes.

He wished that he could sleep away his life, finding escape in his dreams.

* * *

**Scenes from the next chapter of **_**What is Happiness?**_

"_Are you insane?! You were gonna kill yourself!"_

"_You don't mind if I stay here with you, do you, man?"_

"_Garet and I broke up."_

"_Mia's gone, what else do I have to live for? I won't be stopped this time."_

'_Oh, gods, no! No, no, no, no, no! What have I done?!'_

* * *

I figured I'd leave you a nice little sneak peak since I'm not going to be here for a while. Take note that none of the quotes are directly related to each other, meaning that none of these quotes are in direct succession of each other. Each line will appear in that order, but how spread apart, I'm not quite sure yet :)

Well, contrary to last chapter, this one is rather lengthy and I actually enjoyed writing it. Even though it was awful having them finally split apart, I got to work on my emotion capturing. I think for the most part people have been saying I'm good at capturing the real emotions of characters, which is good because some of my dialogue is ridiculously cheesy and describing setting isn't my forte. If I had to rate myself in terms how my writing is I'd say that I'm best at making realistic thoughts/emotions and worst at describing settings. _Clear as Mud_ was a challenge, and even then it was all focused on thoughts and emotions since setting was only apparent near the beginning and little bits throughout the rest of the story. I think it's because I tend to repeat setting descriptions in different words.

Anyway, I know mudshippers (except **Mr0cheese** since he's actually looking forward to Jenna reappearing in the story. Next chapter, man. She's got a huge role) will be, as an understatement, upset over the events of this chapter, but I'd like to know what you guys thought of the chapter itself. Everything make enough sense? Unfortunately, I'm a lazy editor so I tend to edit it twice at most, which makes me miss things that I don't notice until after I post the chapter and at that point am too lazy to fix. I'm almost certain there's a part in chapter two or three that says 'his their' when it's only supposed to say one of those, so proof of my laziness :P

Okay, so I'm thinking there's only about three or four chapters left. Oh em gee, guys, it's almost done! I realized that I am actually a ridiculously fast updater because other stories I'm reading haven't updated in like four or five months. MONTHS. Seriously, how does it take people years to finish a story that's only ten chapters long? I don't even understand how that happens, but maybe it's because they spend time editing and perfecting their stories while creating elaborate plotlines while I just sit here typing an entire chapter in one sitting, look it over once or twice, and hit post new chapter… Careful planning is for chumps! (jk I respect careful planners)

Please review and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	21. Agony

And we're back! Feels like it's been ages since I've written something! Did you guys miss me? ;) I hope that the little sneak peak left you guys eagerly anticipating this chapter. In truth, I couldn't wait to write it, but obviously I didn't have much of a chance to. That being said, I was given quite a bit more time to brainstorm so I hope you all enjoy this.

Thanks to my reviewers!  
**CruelRuin:** Lol I wasn't sure if it was emotional enough, but I got some manly tears. Nice.  
**Mr0cheese: **Dude, as soon as you said _**Fire Emblem Awakening**_ (it's so badass that it needs to be bold, italicized, and underlined... except the editor won't let me underline for whatever reason, so just pretend it is) has been taking up your time I was like… he and I were meant to be friends; I forgive any lack of reviews for the same reason that I took longer to post that last chapter. Tis a valid excuse. Honestly this is my favourite FE so far (in case you didn't read my extensive list from Chapter 19). Soooooo many support shippings it's ridiculous and I love it. My favourite character is between Inigo, Noire, Cynthia, or Henry but I set Henry up with Miriel… (my biggest regret of the game… there's always next playthrough…). Oh and Cherche because she's kinda cute… and Nowi… dammit too many good characters. I think I clocked in at about 30 hours within the first 4 days of owning the game… If there's some sort of friend code thing, send me yours and I'll add it. I dunno how that stuff really works so you'd have to send it to me so I could figure it out :P. Sorry for the long reply, FE makes me nerdgasm. FE nerds for life! B). Oh and yeah, this story… I feel you, bro; people need to have some love for Jenna. I tried to make her likeable for everyone, but alas that shan't happen unless people break free of their premeditated notions of her.  
**AnriMia24:** Worry not, dear Anri, for I think this chapter is less painful than you may be bracing yourself for. Then again, I don't know you, so it may be just as painful :P. And as for your prediction, I said I wouldn't reveal anything about the secret, so I'll just wobble my head and say it's possible ;P

I see no need to prolong this, so here's the long-awaited chapter 21!

Disclaimer: I don't

* * *

A warm breeze from the volcano blew across the barren Goma Mountains. Sparkling, psynergetic ashes floated through the air like cottonseeds in the wind. Alchemy had been released upon the world, thus making psynergy a rather common occurrence. If it would be used for good or evil, none could say for sure. The hearts of men are often weak and greedy, feeling as though they deserve more than they are given; a problem that could possibly affect the fate of the Wise One and all of Weyard.

But none of that was his problem.

Isaac stood by the end of his porch, dangerously perched over the edge of the cliff without so much as a railing to prevent one from falling off. Why was he tasked with protecting the fate of things when he couldn't even protect himself? He'd almost forgotten how vulnerable the heart was: such a delicate piece of the human soul. Now that his heart was broken, shattered, and lying in pieces within the depths of his empty soul, what was stopping him from simply taking one more step? How often had he wondered what it would be like to simply cease to exist? Probably far too much for his own good.

He looked down at the chasm below and kicked a small pebble over. It would be a simple thing. He could easily make it look like an accident. Perhaps he'd been observing Mt. Aleph when a gust of wind blew him off. Maybe the soarwing hadn't strapped on properly, leaving a helpless Isaac to fall to his death. Or perhaps he'd just committed suicide to end his meaningless, loveless life.

Everything over the past while had all melded itself into a depressing blur, yet he had no problem remembering exactly how long it had been since Mia broke off the engagement with him. Two months and sixteen days ago. Surprisingly, he hadn't turned to alcohol – well, not _always_ – to drown away his sorrows. Instead he'd spent most of his time lying in bed, not leaving for days at a time except to use the washroom. His eating habits were slowly deteriorating, and he'd definitely lost some muscle mass as well. Every day the cliff looked more and more enticing, almost begging him to take the final step and leave it all behind.

It wasn't just the cliff though. Isaac's mind was so clouded with ways that he could take the coward's way out that it was all he thought about when he wasn't thinking of Mia. The rope and the chandelier, rat poison in his breakfast, and the venom-filled fang he'd kept in his spoils were just some of the more complex ideas that had come to him. Hell, even using his sword or a knife to quickly end it could work. But when the time came to act he always felt himself hesitating.

It wasn't out of fear, if anything he was more afraid of living without love than dying. It had always been more about how it would affect his friends. How would Garet ever forgive him? What would Ivan and Sam feel like if he ended his life? Could he put Jenna through yet another death to someone close to her? But most importantly, what sort of guilt would he place upon Mia when she found out what he'd done? Though they were no longer together, she had still loved him.

Love_d._

As in, she used to love him. There was no way of knowing how she still felt about him. Ivan and Garet claimed that there was no way she could stop feeling for him after such a short time, but he was never convinced so easily. They knew that the Venus adept wasn't taking the situation in well at all, so they'd had to keep an eye on him as much as they could. For the most part they'd just been leaving him meals and such while they stayed downstairs. Most, if not all, of the dangerous things were not in Isaac's bedroom, so he would have to come downstairs if he wanted to try anything.

Isaac sighed and stepped away from the edge and towards the doorway. It would be selfish to kill himself after all they'd done, yet that reasoning enough never seemed to amount to his overwhelming desolation. The cliff seemed out of the question, though, for no one would know exactly what happened to him if he just suddenly disappeared. It wasn't that he wanted them to know he'd killed himself, but if there was no body the situation could be mistaken for him leaving on yet another journey to find himself.

He hadn't even realized, but in all his thoughts of death and leaving he'd managed to tie a sloppy noose around the chandelier. How he'd managed to get up on a chair and do all of this without realizing escaped him, but it seemed as though his subconscious had decided for him. There was only one way to go from here and that was down, literally. This was it. Nothing would stop him this time. He'd never actually gotten so far as to be standing in a position where one movement could end his life (other than the cliff).

Isaac slid his head through the loop and took a final look around the room. He mentally whispered his goodbyes and apologized to his djinn, who were powerless to stop him in this situation. He wiggled his foot, ready to kick the chair from beneath his feet. It would be quick, relatively painless, and he would pass out before he even died. _Deep breaths, Isaac. No more hesitation._

As he was about to kick the chair away to end his life, he heard the sound of the lock clicking open. Fearing that he was too late, Isaac punted the chair as hard as he could towards the person at the door. Hearing the clatter, Ivan jumped into the house and immediately cast Halt without even looking which direction it was aimed in; however, due to his heightened Jupiter senses, it hit Isaac directly, causing the Venus adept to sort of float in midair, the noose not yet tightened around his neck.

"Slash!" cried Ivan, quickly slicing the rope from where it hung. He then proceeded to carry the frozen Isaac over to the couch before smacking him hard across the face.

"**ISAAC, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"**

The Venus adept remained frozen in his position, mouth slightly agape but still able to dart his eyes around. Ivan knew he couldn't take Isaac on in a fight, so he kept his suicidal friend in the Halt spell until he was sure that Isaac wouldn't do anything irrational.

"Are you insane?! You were gonna kill yourself! I'm glad I showed up when I did or you'd have been dead by the time someone came to check up on you. I knew you weren't coping well, Isaac, but this. _This?!_"

The Jupiter adept unraveled the noose and used the rope to bind Isaac's hands behind his back. Once he was sure they were tight enough, he released Isaac from the spell, causing Isaac to fall over in a heap on the couch. Isaac had never been on the receiving end of a Halt spell, and it felt weird to be so immobile and paralyzed. Nothing he'd ever experienced could even compare to the literal stopping of all motor functions except for the eyes.

Ivan glared at Isaac, arms crossed over his chest. Isaac had never seen Ivan so upset before. He truly was intimidating, despite his young appearance. "Well, are you going to say anything?" demanded Ivan.

"What do you want me to say, Ivan? I'm a wreck, I'm a joke, I'm nothing more than a guy who can't seem to get his life in order. I almost killed myself because I'm not contributing to anything other than Mia's 'premonition' which I don't even know if I should be doing. I shouldn't have to do anything she says anymore. I'm no longer… hers…"

Ivan smacked him again. Isaac angrily aimed a kick at the nimble Jupiter adept and missed.

"Isaac, listen to yourself! You're being pathetic! Sol, I never thought I'd see the day when I, the once timid, fifteen-year-old, friendless boy from Kalay, would be smacking some sense into the fearless leader of our band of heroes because he's too stupid to realize that there's more to life than being sad! Gods, I understood when you were depressed that she wasn't here and I even knew that this would be a million times worse when you told her she broke it off with you, but I never thought you would stoop so low, Isaac. I'm going to take anything potentially dangerous out of your house until I can be sure you won't use it on yourself. Don't think I won't tell Garet about this, because I will. He won't be mad like I am, trust me, he'll be disappointed, and that's much worse than anger, Isaac."

With that, the Jupiter adept went around the house, collecting all manner of sharp objects, rope-like items, poisonous powders and such, and even went so far as to tear the chandelier from the ceiling for extra measure. Isaac simply stayed at the couch and allowed his friend to walk around and collect things. There'd be no use in trying to stop him, as his hands were still tied. He wouldn't be able to concentrate his psynergy properly like this, so he just waited until Ivan returned by the front door with a large collection of random, potentially dangerous things.

"I'm taking these down to Patcher's. Garet's gonna be up here by sunset, so I suggest you smarten up by then. I still can't believe you of all people would do something like this. And to think I came all this way to tell you some good news."

"…wait, Ivan. What… what were you going to tell me?"

Ivan scoffed, obviously thinking that Isaac didn't deserve to know now. "If you must know, I was going to tell you that Sam is pregnant. I was going to ask you to be the godfather, but I'm reconsidering my options. I don't want my child to be around you if you're this much of a danger to yourself. Prove me wrong, Isaac."

Casting Carry on the heap of items, Ivan opened the door and floated the things out of the house. He used a very gentle Slash to slice the bonds tying Isaac's hands together before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

Helpless, hopeless, a disappointment, and a terrible friend; Isaac was all of these things and more.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

For the rest of the day, Isaac sat in front of the fireplace with the locket in one hand and a half-finished bottle of whiskey in the other. He stared longingly at the photo in the locket while his finger brushed the gem sitting beside it. He was honestly too intoxicated to get up at that point, so he had already decided he'd just sit there until Garet showed up. On that thought, he heard the lock click open, followed by the heavy footsteps of the Mars adept.

"Isaac, Ivan told me what happened," he said calmly, effortlessly taking the bottle from his drunken friend. Isaac hung his head, knowing that Garet would guilt him with his disappointment. However, Garet said nothing more and simply took a seat beside him.

"Aren't you gonna say more? Tell me how you're disappointed an' crap?" he slurred.

Garet slowly shook his head and patted Isaac on the shoulder. "C'mon, Isaac, you know me better than that. I know that Ivan gave you hell, so what good would it do to make you feel worse? I'm just here to make sure everything's alright now. Besides, I've got enough on my mind as it is."

Isaac was glad that Garet was such a compassionate friend, but he was now curious as to what would be occupying Garet's mind over the fact that his best friend nearly killed himself earlier.

"S'everything alright with you?" asked Isaac. "You don't usually *hic* have many problems in your life… at least not lately."

Garet took a swig of Isaac's whiskey, much to the Venus adept's surprise, before responding. "Hmm, Dragon's Bane (not actual Dragon's Bane, just the name of the whiskey in this case). Nice choice, though I still don't really support you drinking yourself stupid," he joked. Isaac continued staring at him, waiting for Garet to elaborate on his problems.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now, Isaac. Tonight we'll just be a couple of guys and hang out like we used to. I don't have work for the next few days, so I figured I'd keep an eye on you on my days off. It's not like I had much else to do."

Though unsatisfied with Garet's answer, Isaac smiled to his friend and patted him on the shoulder. "S'all good, man. Brothers stick together," he chuckled drunkenly, closing the locket and hanging it around his neck.

The two adepts chatted on about Garet's life (since Isaac's had been pretty uneventful since Mia's departure) and how things were going down in Kalay. From what he could tell, things still seemed pretty much the same. Garet's grandfather, now a political official, would be celebrating his ninety-third birthday soon, making him the oldest member in the village since Kraden had left with Piers some time long ago. Sam completed her PhD and was now a professor at the university. Ivan was sort of an engineer, though he mostly just liked to tinker around with his own inventions. Even Isaac's parents were doing well, though the thought of not visiting them in such a long time made him feel ashamed. Jenna was still working as a baker, but Isaac noticed that Garet didn't seem to dwell on her too long.

"Yeah, so that's pretty much it," said a buzzed Garet, placing the nearly empty bottle on the small table beside him.

"That's good. So how's Jenna, anyway? I've only seen her maybe once in the past couple months when she came to check on me."

"Oh, uh, she's good I guess. Not really much to say… she's pretty much the same as always…"

Even though he was drunk, Isaac could tell that Garet was hiding something. The Mars adept had been careful about how he hid it though, making Isaac unsure of whether it was meant to be a good thing or a bad thing. He'd said that he had a lot on his mind, but that didn't necessarily mean it was a bad thing. For all he knew, Jenna would pop in with a ring on her finger. Perhaps that's what it was, but he was afraid of how Isaac would react, given that he and Mia had just called off their wedding plans and relationship as a whole. Well, whatever the reason, Garet clearly wasn't ready to tell him, so he let it slide.

"Hey, I'm gonna go lie down. I'm getting kinda tired," said Isaac, yawning as he did so.

"Yeah, alright, I'm probably gonna stay up for a bit longer. Night, Isaac."

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Those few days went by rather quickly with Garet there to boost Isaac's spirits. Honestly, Isaac wasn't even sure he could feel boosted, but Garet had somehow managed to keep him entertained during his short stay there. He couldn't say that he wasn't still depressed, but at least he wasn't about to kill himself again.

"Oh, I think I forgot to tell you," said Garet as he was about to leave, "Ivan's outta town and I've got to go to my grandpa's birthday celebration, so we're both gone for two or three days. After that, though, I might come back here for a while. You don't mind if I stay here with you, do you, man?"

"Nah, you can stay as long as you want. It's probably best if I have someone here with me anyway," Isaac responded flatly.

Garet flashed him a smile and gave him a thumbs-up before heading off across the bridge. Isaac slowly closed the door behind his friend and turned back towards the soarwing. He hadn't been out while Garet was with him, and he always did like the feeling of flying. Maybe he could do that for a few hours to take his mind off of Mia. He would inevitably start feeling bad again, but he wanted to prolong that depression for as long as he could. Strapping the contraption to his back, he went out to the back porch, ran towards the edge, and jumped off the cliff, calling on his psynergy to guide the machine. It was such an exhilarating feeling to just fly and be free.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Isaac returned home at about sunset. He had never flown for such a long time, but he had quite a bit more energy when he wasn't so depressed. It had given him more time to think. However, now that he was tired and at home, he could feel the lonely feelings creeping back up on him. Sunset was always the time of day that he used to love, but now it came only as a reminder of so many good things he'd done with Mia. He placed the soarwing on a chair by the door and went over to his rocking chair. He didn't usually sit in it, as it faced away from the fireplace, but it did give a nice view out the window. He hadn't watched a sunset in quite a while. _Mia, I miss you…_

Isaac woke up to the sound of a light rapping at his door. He must have been exhausted after his lengthy flight and fallen asleep watching the sunset. The rocking chair was quite soothing, but it was now dark outside. Luna wasn't high in the sky yet, but Isaac couldn't help but wonder who would be coming over at such a late hour. Perhaps he'd imagined the sound, but some louder knocking at the door interrupted that thought. Cautiously approaching the entrance, he slowly opened the door, only to find himself completely shocked by the visitor.

"I-Isaac."

He stared blankly for a moment, but allowed the visitor to come in. After what seemed like minutes, Isaac found his voice again. "Uh, hey, Jenna. What are you doing here?" he yawned.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake you? You look tired," Jenna said quietly.

"No, no, it's alright. I just went out on a flight today. Spent a little longer out there than I meant to, but I'm up now."

She smiled slightly but cast her gaze downwards. Isaac was growing more concerned by the second, so he gestured her to take a seat by the fireplace.

"Are you okay, Jenna? You seem a little down."

She bit her bottom lip, but it was no use. Isaac knew what would happen as a tear slid down her cheek. Suddenly she wrapped her arms around him and cried heavily into his chest. Though he wasn't expecting the sudden gesture, he wrapped one arm around her to rub her back. It wasn't like he knew what was going on, so all he could do was comfort her.

"I-I'm sorry, Isaac," she cried into his shirt, "I d-didn't want you t-to see me like th-this."

"Shh, it's okay, Jenna, I'm here for you. What's going on, though? I don't mean to be rude, but I can't exactly help you out without knowing what the problem is."

The Mars adept sat up and took a moment to wipe her tears and take a few breaths before she spoke again. He had to be ready for anything, because Jenna wasn't the type to get upset like this often. Most of the time she just got angry, and he'd only seen her cry when they were little, when her family 'died', when she broke up with him, and when she found out Felix was missing. He braced himself as she hesitated for a moment, seeming almost unsure of her own words.

"Garet and I broke up."

That was… unexpected, to say the least. Isaac was relieved that he'd braced himself for something upsetting, because he might not have believed her if he hadn't. It kind of made sense now too. Garet had been acting weird about Jenna the other day and he wasn't really dwelling on the subject whenever the Venus adept brought her up. Isaac wasn't really sure what to say.

"Oh… I'm really sorry to hear that, Jen. I thought he was going to propose to you soon. I'm pretty sure he had a ring and everything." Hearing that news only made her sob harder, collapsing herself into him again. _Smart one, Isaac. Bring up the fact that he was going to propose to her right after she says they broke up. Gods, I'm an idiot._

"I f-feel so selfish for b-bringing myself here, Isaac. I kn-know you and M-Mia just split up so you must be d-devastated. My p-problems are nothing c-compared to yours."

"Jenna, don't… don't say things like that. Yes, I'm still hurting a lot over Mia, but right now you're my biggest concern. You're still one of my closest friends, no matter if we haven't seen each other much lately. Just walk me through what happened. Garet was here the other day but he didn't even mention any problems between you two."

She took another moment to compose herself. It was hard for him to see her like this. Jenna always seemed so tough before, so to see her break down like this was disheartening. Where was the girl he used to know, the one who fought off bullies, climbed trees, slayed monsters, and helped save the world? He never wanted to see any of his friends so broken. Perhaps this is how they saw him, broken and depressed.

"It's my fault. That stupid slut, Roxy, wouldn't keep her hands off Garet. I always made it really obvious that he and I were a couple so that she would back off, but she never really took the hint. I got mad at him for always letting her flirt with him, but he just said that he never flirted back, so it wasn't really anything he could help. I suppose that's true, but it still made me uncomfortable. Then one day when I was going to walk home with him after work, I went into the shop and saw her… I s-saw her…"

"Jenna, calm down, it's alright, I'm here. Take a minute if you need to."

She shook her head and continued. "I saw her kissing him, Isaac! He had his hands on her sides and she was all over him. I didn't even stop to think, I just screamed out 'WHORE!' and ran home as fast as I could. When Garet caught up to me I didn't want to listen, but he forced me to. He said he was trying to push her away and that he wasn't kissing back. I called him a liar and… then I ruined everything…"

"You broke up with him…" Isaac said softly, but Jenna shook her head and kept going.

"I don't know what came over me, Isaac. I said the worst possible thing anyone could have said to Garet. I never expected to be the one to hurt him so badly, but I did. I screamed at him and asked him what Aaron would say if he saw his older brother cheating on his girlfriend."

Isaac was stunned. He knew Jenna was one to lose her temper, but never did he expect that to come from her. Apparently she was feeling the same way because tears streamed down her face again. He could see just how awful she felt for saying something so terrible, even if it was out of anger.

"He didn't say anything to me at first. He just stood there with a blank look on his face. I immediately regretted what I said, but he wouldn't let me apologize. Isaac, he looked at me with such pain and hatred. I'd never seen such a hurt expression come from anyone. His face was blank, but there was such a fury in his eyes. He started packing his things away but he wouldn't say a word to me, no matter how much I said I didn't mean it. When I asked him where he was going he just said that he was leaving. I tried to stop him, but he forced his arm from my grip at the door before turning his head and telling me that we were done. Then he slammed the door and left me alone."

Isaac was at a loss for words. Garet didn't seem like that at all when he came up to the cabin a few nights ago. Who would've thought that a few hours before he showed up at Isaac's home that Garet had just gone through a rough breakup? It made him feel bad for forcing his problems onto the Mars adept instead of letting him deal with his own. Isaac rubbed Jenna's back some more as she cried into him again.

"I… I'm sorry, Jenna. If I'd have known that he was staying at my place for the past few days for that reason then I'd have tried to talk him into reconsidering what he'd done. I could tell something was going on between you two, but he was good at hiding if it was good or bad. I feel stupid because it should've been obvious that it was bad, otherwise he wouldn't have been staying at my place…"

"It's not your fault, Isaac. I was being selfish by coming up here. I thought that maybe if I talked to someone who'd experienced heartbreak, they might be able to help me out. I was being insensitive, especially when you were the first person I could think of. Of course I knew you'd experienced heartbreak; I was the first one to cause it, but I was too stupid to think of going to someone else. I'm so sorry, Isaac, I-I should leave you alone, this was a bad idea."

Isaac held her down when she tried to stand, causing her to give him a confused look. "Jenna, I don't want you to worry about that. I… I can't say that I'm not dying on the inside, but I want to help you. Before, all I could concern myself with was how Mia wasn't with me anymore. The same day Garet showed up, I almost killed myself. All I could think was 'Mia's gone, what else do I have to live for? I won't be stopped this time'. I may not be strong right now, but I want to support you, and you can support me. We're both going through a hard time."

"Isaac… Oh, Isaac, why can't love be easier?! It always seemed like things would work out for everyone. You and Mia were so in love, Garet and I were doing well, and Sam and Ivan are married with a kid on the way. I don't even know how it all fell apart for us. Maybe I'm cursed… I spread my curse to you, and now Garet's cursed too."

"Jenna… sometimes the people we love aren't meant to be with us… I feel like a hypocrite for saying that because I want nothing more than to be with her right now, but I know that it's the truth. I just… I can't believe she kept the ring. Maybe she really does still… love me…"

A few tears slid down his face and the exes silently cried as they sat by the fireplace. Isaac had to admit this was probably one of the strangest situations he'd found himself in, but it didn't seem to matter. Both of them were in so much pain, and they just needed someone to comfort and support them. And so they remained like that, comforted by the other pained individual in the heat of the fire, a place where both adepts had spent cuddling with each other and their later respective significant others.

It was odd, to say the least, to feel so close to Jenna again. He hadn't had a real conversation with her since Felix' disappearance. Before they were a couple, they had always been best friends, and after they had settled their past they had come to a friendly understanding between each other. Somewhere along the line they'd simply lost contact and now this felt foreign, yet at the same time it felt right. Was it because he missed Jenna, though, or because he missed Mia? Truthfully, Isaac couldn't say whether he enjoyed holding Jenna because they were both hurting and she was there for him, or because it made him feel like he was holding Mia.

But then he felt guilty. He knew there was no way that she could, but Mia would feel so hurt if she could see him now. He was hesitant to admit to himself, but he almost felt like he was being couple-y with Jenna right now. True, they were both just distraught over the loss of the love of their lives, but minus the crying this was something that he had done with both Mia and Jenna when he dated them. He felt almost afraid of the consequences of being in this position.

But no, he shouldn't be afraid of the consequences because there wouldn't be consequences. He felt nothing more than a platonic love for Jenna. She was a childhood friend of his who chose to come to him in her time of need. He just so happened to be in need of a friend as well, thus they were compelled to comfort each other. No one would view this strangely, for there was no one around to view it in such a way. Well, no one except the djinn now sitting in front of the fire.

"_Should we stop them, Tinder? I'm afraid for what Master Isaac and Miss Jenna may lead to if they continue this way," _said Flint.

Tinder shook her head, _"No, Flint. I don't believe anything will happen. They are simply two people hurting more emotionally than we djinn can possibly know. Humans are complex. We cannot possibly hope to understand the ways in which they choose to think and feel. It is best that we do not interfere."_

"_I suppose you're right. I mean no offense, but I always preferred Master Isaac and Lady Mia together. Perhaps I am rushing to conclusions."_

"_I do not disagree. I always felt that Lady Jenna and Garet had a much stronger connection to one another. We are not at a place to interfere with their relationships, though. We are simply here to help guide them along their chosen paths."_

"_And that we shall."_

Though the djinn didn't know it at the time, their duties were going to become much more complex than they could ever know.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Isaac awoke the next morning, feeling tired and depressed. He and Jenna had stayed up late last night, crying into each other over the loss of their loves. It had been strangely emotional, and Isaac wasn't quite sure if he had ever had a heart-to-heart with Jenna, not even while they were dating! Slowly cracking his eyes open, the Venus adept rubbed at them to help adjust to brightness of sunlight coming in through the window.

He truly wished he hadn't let his eyes adjust, though, because the fear of what he saw next was almost too much to handle. He darted his eyes all over the room, praying that there was some sign that this wasn't real. But everything he saw only made it seem the more real. He pinched his arm hard. _Damn, it hurt, so this isn't a dream! More like a nightmare! Oh, gods, no! No, no, no, no, no! What have I done?! How could I let this happen?!_

There was only one more thing he could do. There was no way this was a dream, but he had to be sure. Hands shaking in pure terror of what he would see, Isaac slowly reached over beside him.

Lifting the spare bedroom's white blanket, he felt his heart, lungs, motor functions, and time itself stop when he saw the reddish brown of Jenna's hair flowing down over her naked, sleeping figure.

* * *

Oh man, I told you things were gonna get a little more interesting! Everyone was expecting some Isaac-Jenna relations to build up first, but I don't know if anyone was expecting a one-night stand. I'm sure some of you are confused by this and I can assure you that details of last night (meaning how it led up to it, not what happened, you perverts) will be explained, though I will say that the explanation is rather short and probably not the sort of detailed story some of you are expecting. No matter, it's the principle, not the events.

So, are you guys liking my newfound inspiration for these chapters? I dunno if you can tell, but I can certainly see a difference between the chapters that I'm enjoying writing and the ones I wasn't. Not to say that I like having Isaac and Mia split apart and the events that follow, but I really like that things are finally picking up again. **Mr0cheese** gets me, so if you guys can relate with his reviews, then you should be able to relate with me :)

Also, in case you felt that Ivan was a bit OOC with all the anger and whatnot, well that's because I felt that, since she's been such a wonderful reviewer, **AnriMia24** needed somewhat of a presence in the story. You've said multiple times that you'd like to slap, hurt, and do other painful things to Isaac for his dumb decisions and personality and such, so I figured that I could channel your anger through Ivan :P

Please _**REVIEW**_ because, like I've said before, I like the people who have been reviewing, but I wish that I knew what some of the other people think. Even if it's a simple "I liked this chapter, it has a nice twist" or "This chapter could use some work, like if you tried…" or even "I didn't like this chapter because…" would be greatly appreciated. I know people are reading the story, but it's a bit frustrating when only two or three of the same people are reviewing every update. I'll continue updating, regardless of review numbers, but I may or may not make an exception for the final chapter where you find out the kids' reactions, if Isaac finds happiness, and what the big secret for his post-story depression is. All will be revealed, but only if I can get enough reviews in the penultimate chapter. I'll be very clear about which chapter that is, so I'm expecting reviews on it. This is **NOT** the second last chapter, but I would still like some more reviews!

So, yeah, that's all for my rant on reviews and we the writers. Also check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_


	22. A New Beginning

Gah, it's so close to the end now! I know I've said that a couple times, but it really is nearing the end. In fact, I don't know why I didn't just say this, but _**THIS IS THE SECOND LAST CHAPTER: THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER WHERE I AM EXPECTING MORE THAN THREE REVIEWS OR YOU MAY NOT SEE THE FINAL CHAPTER FOR A WHILE!**_

Yeah, I know I just made that rant about reviews on the last chapter, but it was kind of meant as a heads up for this… I'm not trying to sound greedy or like a dick for expecting at least four or five reviews, but it would be nice to hear from more people, especially since I put quite a bit of effort into this. Sorry to my regular reviewers, but this does mean that you will have to wait a bit if there isn't an ample amount.

Wow, hopefully that didn't make me come off as overly angry; I swear I just wanted to get my point across. I'll just start the chapter so people don't start getting freaked out by my ranting.

Thanks for reviewing! Honestly, if I could receive more reviews just like these ones, I would be incredibly happy, but simple ones are good as well.  
**CruelRuin: **I definitely don't think I deserve the praise that you've so graciously given to me. Your kind words and such flatter me, but I'm certainly no literary genius; I'm an efficient writer perhaps, but definitely not deserving of a higher title. In truth, I'm not even sure I did do all the things you pointed out, but if it made sense to you then I suppose that makes me accidentally skilled :P  
**Mr0cheese: **Nice, you made an account! I'm eagerly awaiting your FE fic :). Hopefully you noticed the PM I sent you; it has my friend code. Anyway, I'm glad to know that I answered most of your questions. You seemed to have the most questions out of all the reviewers, so I know that my loose-end-tying abilities are fully functional. Any other loose ends will (or should) be covered over these last two chapters.  
**AnriMia24: **I almost feel bad for causing you all of this distress as of late. I know that you were rooting for mudshipping the most, but knew right from the start that there would be some unfortunate events stopping that from happening. I must apologize again, for the events of the other night take up about a third of this chapter, so you may find yourself saddened again *shields self and hides cookies*. My only advice if you aren't at least feeling a bit better from the ending of this chapter, look forward to the final one. I won't say why, but… well, yeah, just do it :P  
**bearclaw13: **I'm surprised that you stuck around with all those opposing shipping preferences. Honestly, if I had been in your position, I probably wouldn't have stayed long, but I'm glad you find my story intriguing :). It's also relieving to get a non-mudshipper's opinion, because everyone else seems quite biased towards the events that aren't all happy for Isaac and Mia, so I thank you for your input. And nice, another FE nerd! I wish I had the motivation to write an FE fic, but Intelligent Systems already does an amazing job of shipping through the support system, so I feel like I'd just be expanding on something that can already be done in-game.

Disclaimer: I do not own large flaming ball of burning gas, which planets circulate around its gravitational field of the colour of a precious metal known on the periodic table as Au, number 79. Simply put, Golden Sun.

* * *

_It was late; he'd lost track of time. Luna was out of view from the window by the couch on which Isaac and Jenna were huddled against each other. The fireplace offered minimal warmth in the chilly night, and both adepts were apparently grateful for the company of one another. After some time, Jenna sat up, causing both of them to wince at the slight cold in the spots where they were once huddled. She looked at him and smiled apologetically, though Isaac felt no reason for her to apologize to him._

"_Thank you, Isaac, for being a true friend. I'm not sure anyone else would have been so compassionate after hearing my story."_

_Isaac gave her a small smile and wiped the old tear streaks from his face. "Don't mention it, Jenna. I should be thanking you as well. No one really tried to relate to me, they all just wanted to distract me from my pain. You were the only one who actually sympathized with me."_

_She gave his hand a light squeeze before slowly standing up, much to his surprise. "You're too kind, Isaac. I don't think I deserve such praise for my selfishness. Anyway, it's late out and I woke you up in the first place. I should be on my way home if you're going to get any rest."_

"_Wait, Jenna," he said, grasping her wrist as she let go of his hand, "I, uh, well, it's not that safe out here at night. I don't mind if you… if you stay here for the night. It'll save you the trouble of heading all the way back to Kalay… I mean that is if you want to stay…"_

_She gave him a quizzical look before saying anything, "A-are you sure that's all right? I don't want to feel like I'm intruding…"_

"_It's not a problem. You aren't being an intruder, Jenna; you're a guest in my home. True, you wound up here under… unusual circumstances, but I'm glad that you did."_

_The Mars adept quickly wrapped Isaac in a tight squeeze. He couldn't say he wasn't expecting her embrace, but she was stronger than he remembered._

"_Isaac, I can't thank you enough for your generosity." With that, she let go of him and made her way to the spare bedroom. He watched as she entered the room and quietly shut the door behind her._

_Though he was tired, Isaac couldn't seem to fall asleep. He stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, wondering what was keeping him awake; however, he knew the reason, for it had been the same reason he'd lacked sleep for the past two and a half months._

_He was alone._

_Yet at the same time, he wasn't alone. Jenna and Garet were now faced with a difficult situation as well. They both understood his pain, and could sympathize by relating his pain to their own. He figured it must be worse for them, since they would still see each other all the time. That was the question though: was it worse to be forever separated from the love of your life or have to see them every day knowing that you could never be? Neither situation sounded better to him._

_A familiar sound caught his attention, and Isaac turned towards the doorway. The choke of a breath and a light moan floated in through his doorway. She must have thought he was asleep to allow herself to cry so openly again. He'd never known the volume of Jenna's sobs could reach his room from the spare bedroom through both closed doors, but he was sure that that was the sound he was hearing. Carefully sliding out of bed, Isaac made his way downstairs to check on her._

_Once he reached the door, however, he hesitated. Though she was in his house, she deserved her privacy. He had spent much of his time earlier comforting her, so the least he could do now was let her express her sorrow. But no, he wasn't the type of person to leave someone alone in their pain. He knew what it was like to be hurt and alone. Maybe he couldn't heal the emotional wounds, but he would never abandon his friends in their time of need. At least she wouldn't be alone. Breathing deeply, Isaac lightly rapped on the door._

"_Jenna… can I come in?" His question was followed by silence. Perhaps she thought he would go away if she stopped crying. Suddenly he was regretting his decision to interrupt her privacy, but it was too late to turn back now. Sighing, he slowly turned the doorknob and peeked his head into the room._

_To his surprise, she was not pretending to sleep, or even lying down in the bed for that matter. She sat upright on the edge of the bed, the starlight coming in through the window and illuminating most of her figure. From what he could see, she seemed to be examining some sort of jeweled bracelet on her wrist as she wept. Cautiously as he could, Isaac quietly stepped into the room and made his way towards her._

"_I'm sorry for waking you again," she said without looking up from her wrist. "I'll be alright, Isaac. You can go back to sleep."_

_He took a seat beside her and examined the bracelet as well. It was gold with what appeared to be a platinum lining. Light pink jewels of some sort lined the top section, and overall it had a very regal and expensive look to it. He didn't have to ask if Garet had gotten it for her, it seemed obvious enough._

"_It was a gift for our ten-year anniversary," she said, realizing that he wasn't going to go back upstairs. "I always kind of knew he wanted to propose, but he never really had the guts to do it. I didn't care though; I just knew that everything would be alright as long as we were together. I never thought that I might end up ruining everything."_

_Isaac wrapped his arm around her back and rubbed her arm as she began to cry again. After a while, he gently motioned for her to lie down._

"_You should get some sleep, Jenna. I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep so that you won't feel alone. Don't worry about me, I'll be able to sleep once I know that you're okay."_

_Without arguing, Jenna nodded shakily and climbed under the white covers. Isaac took a seat in the chair by the window and gazed out at the stars. The gentle twinkling was both a calming sensation and a painful one. Much like the sunset, the clear night sky brought back memories of Mia. He would have sat sulking in silence if Jenna had not murmured something from behind him._

"_Erm… Isaac? Do you think maybe… you could lie in the bed with me?"_

_That was certainly an awkward question under any circumstances. Isaac felt his cheeks grow hot, something that hadn't happened in a very long time, at the idea of crawling into bed with his ex-girlfriend, not to mention that she was his best friend's recently separated pseudo fiancée. He wasn't even sure how to respond. He didn't want to say yes exactly, but he didn't want to offend her by saying no._

"_I-I'm sorry," she said before he could respond, "that was a really stupid question. I just thought maybe if you did it might help me relax as if… he were still here…"_

_The Venus adept understood what she was trying to say at once. She hadn't meant to make an awkward situation, she simply wanted to sleep under the same conditions she had when she had Garet. It eased his nerves a bit to know her reasoning, but he still felt somewhat uncomfortable as he lay down on the bed beside her. He felt like he was betraying Mia in some way. The Mercury adept was no longer with him, so he couldn't technically betray her anymore, but this just felt… wrong. On the other hand, there was a certain rightness to this wronging. He was uncomfortable with the knowledge that it was Jenna, yet the feeling of being so close to someone in his sad situation was, well, soothing. If he closed his eyes, it would almost seem as though it were Mia lying beside him._

_A pair of arms circled around his torso from the side, slightly breaking his thoughts of Mia._

"_Thank you, Isaac. You're really too good to me."_

_Maybe it was because he was imagining Mia, not Jenna. Maybe it was because he was feeling just as alone as the woman beside him. Maybe it was because he longed to feel loved once again in a way that was more than just platonic. Whatever the reason was, Isaac wouldn't be able to say exactly what compelled him to do what he did next. He knew it wasn't what Jenna wanted him to do. He knew that, if anything, she would push him away if he did it. But none of those consequences were enough to stop him from making his move right then._

_Isaac turned towards Jenna and placed a passionate kiss on her lips._

_Unlike his prediction, however, Jenna did not push him away. Rather, he felt her pull him in closer as she, too, kissed him back. What started as a kiss quickly became much more as the two of them became lost in their emotions…_

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

How could he have let a mistake like that spiral so quickly out of control? That memory had replayed itself over and over in his head over the past month since it had happened. Had he just left her alone that night, none of this would have happened.

Isaac sat by the stairs of a building a few blocks away from the sanctum in Kalay. He couldn't let himself be seen within or near it while Jenna was in there. He just had to wait until she came out before he could hear the news from her.

After that night, the two adepts hadn't really spoken to each other. The morning after had been an awkward and regretful experience of apologies and both telling each other that what had happened had been a mistake. She'd left the house as soon as she could that day, leaving Isaac to deal with overwhelming guilt on top of his depression. Garet arriving a few days later only made him feel more uncomfortable, but he couldn't turn his friend away after saying that it would be alright if he stayed at the cabin.

Now, however, Isaac wished that he _had_ turned Garet away, for the potential news Jenna would tell him could ruin his friendship with the male Mars adept. Not only had he slept with the woman Garet had just broken up with, but now she was potentially… he couldn't even bring himself to think it willingly. Isaac prayed to every god he knew that Jenna's nauseous feelings were from some illness and were not directly linked to his… involvement with her.

The sound of approaching footsteps stole his attention, and he quickly looked up to see Jenna approaching from a short distance away. He immediately jumped to his feet, but stayed where he stood, limbs shaking in anxiousness and anticipation. Jenna had a blank look on her face, so it was difficult to read whether she was relieved or upset; she just looked… plain.

"Jenna," he said as she got closer to him.

"It's as we feared," she said as blankly as her expression. Her face was pale, but she showed no sign of any emotion, almost as if she were devoid of any feeling at all.

Contrastingly, Isaac couldn't possibly describe all of the emotions racing through his mind. He slunk back down into a sitting position and smacked his fist against the ground. His life was basically ruined. There would be no way to hide his new reputation as a philanderer, nor would he be able to explain to Garet without losing a friend. He was truly stuck. The thought would never leave his mind now.

Jenna was pregnant with his child.

This was not the dream he had once hoped to accomplish. He wanted to be a father, yes, but not the type that committed blasphemy with another man's woman. Well, technically Jenna was no longer with Garet, but he still felt as though he'd betrayed his best friend. Worse than that though, he had officially betrayed the one woman he cared most for in all of Weyard, Mia. This was the kind of news that would reach her no matter the distance between them. She would eventually hear of the child of Isaac and Jenna, and he feared that she would hate him.

Isaac was angry, disappointed, and depressed, but more than anything else he was afraid: fearful of the new future that awaited him.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"I… I don't really know what to say, Isaac."

"Garet, I… I'll completely understand if you hate me. I don't deserve your kindness anymore. This isn't the kind of thing I would expect you to let me live down."

One week after hearing the confirmation from Jenna, Isaac decided that he had better tell Garet before Jenna's physical appearance made it too obvious to ignore. He didn't want Garet to mistake the child for his own. The two oldest friends sat on the porch overlooking Mt. Aleph. Isaac was surprised that Garet had not seemed angry at all with him, but was only sad.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm not angry with you, then," Garet responded as if he'd read Isaac's thoughts. "But it would make me somewhat of a hypocrite if I were though."

Confused, Isaac pressed his friend a bit further, "What do you mean? How would getting angry at me be hypocritical?"

Garet shifted uncomfortably, casting his gaze into the chasm below. "I… I may have lied about how long I was going to be away for…"

Isaac's confusion did not go away as Garet trailed off. So what if he wasn't gone for the full three days he said he would be; that still didn't answer the question of being a hypocrite.

"Sorry, I needed a second there," mumbled the Mars adept, clearing his throat. "Like I said, I wasn't actually gone for as long as I told you. See, I did go away for my grandpa's birthday celebration, but it was only for one day, and the trek to the town they were hosting it at wasn't long at all. I came back to Kalay and stayed at the inn since… y'know, I couldn't really go back home while_ she_ was there… Anyway, I bumped into Roxy at some point and, well… at first I was blaming her for what happened, but she wanted to apologize for what happened. I was just so hurt at that point, and she was there to try and right her wrongs. I don't know what came over me, I just…"

It took Isaac a moment to understand where Garet was going with this, but when it finally clicked in his mind, the Venus adept's eyes went wide and his mouth hung agape. He almost couldn't believe what his best friend was telling him. Then again, he wasn't someone who could really talk down about this sort of thing. It would make _him_ the hypocrite, much like Garet had been afraid of doing.

"So…" Isaac managed to croak out, "I suppose… you could only feel hypocritical if Roxy-"

"-is pregnant with my kid, yes, Isaac, she is," Garet finished for him. "She went to the sanctum a couple weeks ago and got it confirmed."

The two of them sat there in silence for some time, both trying to process the fact that they'd accidentally become fathers in similar situations. Isaac couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that Garet had been hurt enough to betray Jenna, but then both he and Jenna had betrayed their respective loved ones as well. And when he pieced it all together, none of them had technically betrayed anyone, but the feelings they shared were that of guilt and sorrow.

"I've disgraced the honour of the rank that the Great Healer bestowed upon me," Garet muttered solemnly. "I can never return to face the people I've wronged."

Isaac wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but again he found himself in a position where he was unable to do so. He had acted exactly the same on the day he exiled himself. It seemed that hypocrisy was a recurring theme of their conversation, as he was now constrained from supporting Garet for that very reason. He could only support his friend in a single way.

"I understand how you feel, Garet," said Isaac. "This is something that I can't really give you much help for since we're both in this same situation. The only thing I can offer is for you to stay here to help me fulfill my duty to Mia. This cabin was built for a family, so accommodating the two of us will be simple."

Garet turned to Isaac, giving the Venus adept a weak smile. "Thanks, man. I don't really know what else I would do at this point…"

"We'll get through this, Garet, we'll get through this…"

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

"Oh, Sam, she's beautiful!" cheered a very pregnant Jenna. "Looks just like her mother!"

Sam and Ivan both blushed as the small group gathered around the sanctum bed in which a tired-looking Sam now lay. In her arms was a towel-wrapped baby girl, her eyes shut tightly as all newborns' eyes are. Patchy green fuzz covered the top of her head; it matched Sam's hair colour almost identically. The baby's eyes cracked open a bit, allowing for her parents to examine her eye colour: purple, like her father's.

"This is wonderful, Hammet! Our Ivan has given us a beautiful granddaughter."

"Eh? You're making me feel old, Layana."

A few light chuckles went around the small group. Isaac was surprised at how few people were actually there, as he expected the birth of Ivan and Sam's child to be as important as their wedding. However, he was not disappointed to see only Garet, Jenna, Hammet, Layana, and Patcher in attendance. It felt a bit more intimate with just the small group of close friends and family.

"I believe now would be a good time to perform the blessing," said the Great Healer from outside their circle.

Ivan nodded, and Isaac and Garet stepped aside to allow the elderly man to enter the circle. He slowly went to Sam's side and gently took the baby girl from her arms.

"Have you thought of a name, or shall I perform it without one?" he asked.

Ivan and Sam both looked at each other and nodded with smiles on their faces. "Karis," they said simultaneously, "it means graceful."

"Ah, a lovely name for a precious little one," chortled the Great Healer. Softly he began murmuring an incantation in some ancient language and he lightly pressed two glowing fingers to baby Karis's forehead. A calming aura filled the room, and he silently handed Karis to Ivan.

"May Luna protect your little one. She has the gift of Jupiter, much like you, good sir."

Ivan smiled down into the face of his daughter, who now looked back up at him and reached a tiny arm up to touch his face. Some of the group let out a few 'aww's, but Isaac smiled silently at the new parents. Though he knew that his future would not be as straightforward as his friends', it was a feeling of gladness that would not leave him at that moment. He had never seen Ivan or Sam look so happy, even on their wedding day. He only hoped that he could offer his son or daughter the same amount of love that Karis would undoubtedly receive from her family.

_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_,..-~^*^~-..,_

Isaac's heart raced as he anxiously paced about the hall. Cries and groans could be heard from behind the door, but the Great Healer had made a very clear point of making sure that Isaac stay outside the room while the birth took place. It was odd to think that only one month ago Ivan and Sam had become parents, but now he and Jenna were about to gain that status as well. He knew that Garet would inevitably be entering the parent group very soon as well.

Only Isaac's parents and Jenna's parents were present for this birth, as Garet understandably did not want to be there, and Ivan and Sam were busy enough with Karis. The to-be grandparents were all very, _very_ old now, and the guilt of not visiting his parents in such a long time still stabbed at Isaac's heart. Still, he had personally requested their presence for the birth of his child. Much to his surprise, none of the four parents seemed angry with their respective children for producing a bastard child. They had initially been a bit disappointed to hear of their children's foolishly thoughtless antics, but had since forgiven them, knowing the difficulties that would lie ahead.

"Son, you need to relax a bit," Kyle said from the nearby bench.

"Hush now, Kyle," a wrinkly, grey-haired Dora nudged her husband. "If I recall correctly, you were just as restless for Isaac's birth as he is right now for his child."

"I hope Jenna is doing alright," said woman's mother voiced aloud. "They've been in there for an awfully long time."

"I'm sure they're fine, Jenna's a fighter, remember?" said her father.

Isaac decided it best not to enter the conversations of the parents now chattering amongst themselves. Continuing his circular pacing, he tried to distract himself with other thoughts. Unfortunately, he realized that it was a bit hard to think of other things with the screaming mother of his child giving birth in the room next door. He was surprised a trough hadn't formed where he was pacing, for he must have been retracing his steps for at least two hours. He suddenly froze when a different sound reached his ears.

A crying baby replaced the sound of Jenna's pants and cries. The door to the room cracked open slightly, and one of the assistant healers peeked his head out.

"Master Isaac?" he said to the frozen Venus adept. When he received no response other than a turned head, the healer continued, "The Great Healer has given permission for you and your families to enter."

Isaac heard the bench squeak as the four elderly grandparents got up and hobbled over towards the door. For yet another time in his life, Isaac felt moving to be rather difficult as his legs slowly made their way toward the door. His heart had practically leapt up into his throat, and he swore that any sort of cough or pat on the back would make it jump right out of his mouth. He shakily pushed open the door and followed the healer towards the bed at which Jenna now lay, panting heavily.

Neither of the new parents said a word to each other, only exchanging glances as Isaac knelt down on the bed beside her. From behind a curtain, the Great Healer emerged with a towel-wrapped baby in his arms. Slowly he stepped towards the new parents and handed the child to Jenna.

"It is a boy," he said plainly.

All of the family members looked down towards the small child's face. Barely visible tufts of blond hair poked out of his head in a slightly spiky manner. When his eyes opened, they could all see a pale blue colour, much like Isaac's eyes except with a hint of grey. Oddly enough, had she not just given birth to the child, none of them would be able to tell that Jenna was the mother of this boy. Even though he was a baby, the facial resemblance to Isaac as a child was almost uncanny.

"Well," said Jenna's father, "he certainly is his father's son in terms of appearance."

"I couldn't agree more," added Dora. "How oddly similar."

Jenna wordlessly looked up from the baby to Isaac, and gestured for him to hold him. Isaac found that his arms were still shaking, but he did not hesitate in gently taking the baby from Jenna's arms. As soon as he made contact with the child, Isaac suddenly felt his body overflow with some sort of warm feeling. It was… odd, but he couldn't help but grin at the small lookalike staring back up at him. The Venus adept actually had to hold back a laugh that he had no reason for.

He never wanted for his life to become so twisted by fate, and yet holding his child like this was almost like a sign that something right could happen in his life. True, the child was not Mia's, his son would have to grow up with a broken family, and this was not the way he'd pictured his dream coming true, but that was the thing about a dream come true; it didn't have to happen the way he expected for it to affect him in such an emotional way.

Just as Karis had done to Ivan, the baby boy reached his arm up towards Isaac's face. Isaac allowed a single chuckle to escape him as he brought one arm out and allowed for his son to grip onto his pinky finger. Isaac felt his father's sole hand pat him on the shoulder as the family grouped in a bit closer.

"Isaac," Jenna said quietly, "I think you should raise him."

Isaac was stunned. If anything, he thought she would have fought to raise the child herself, especially given that she was living like a normal person in the city.

"But… but, Jenna, he's your son too."

"I know that. I'll still be a part of his life, but I see something already between the two of you that I couldn't possibly hope to live up to. This has been your dream since we came back from our adventure all those years ago, Isaac. He was only born a short while ago, but I can see just how much you love him now."

"I… I don't know what to say… Thank you, Jenna. I promise that I'll make sure he isn't isolated from you."

She gave him a small smile before turning her attention back to the child. Maybe Isaac and Jenna's relationship would never be the same, but their son didn't deserve to feel their pain. They would truly do the best they could to raise him as any normal child could be.

After a few moments, the Great Healer cleared his throat to get their attention, "Perhaps now would be a good time for the blessing."

Nodding, Isaac stood from the bed and handed his son over to the Great Healer. The process of blessing was almost identical to the one that Ivan, Sam, and Karis had gone through, though it was slightly altered since Isaac and Jenna were not married.

"Have you chosen a name?"

Isaac looked to Jenna, who gave him a look that told him he could decide. Isaac thought for only a moment, as he had a mental list of names he could potentially give to his children. He chose the one that best described how he felt for his newborn son.

"Ah, a righteous name for a future adventurer," stated the Great Healer before continuing with his incantations.

After touching his glowing fingers to the boy's head, he handed him back to Isaac, who smiled down at the dozing baby. He was glad of the name he'd chosen and the meaning behind it. It was a carefully picked name, and he wanted to make sure that his choice would be the best for his son. He quietly murmured as he rocked the child in his arms.

"Matthew, the gift of Sol."

* * *

Not nea_**R**_ly as long as the last f_**E**_w chapters, but I'm basically just tying up any loose ends that won't be co_**V**_ered _**I**_n the final chapter. I actually r_**E**_searched the meaning of the name Matthe_**W**_ and it has quite a bit of origins and meanings, so I just chose one that I thought would fit well with the story. The original meaning that I used was 'the gift of God', but, like I've said before, the people of Weyard aren't Christians, so God had to be changed to Sol, Luna, or the gods. (_**Not-so-subliminal messaging**_)

Holy crap, guys, there's only one chapter left! Now I'm sure some of you are wondering if Mia will make a reappearance in the final chapter, and I feel confident enough to tell you that she most definitely, positively, absolutely, one hundred percent, without a doubt, for sure, will… not. It's not really a spoiler, so don't get all worked up and whatnot. That being said, her presence is still in the final chapter (no, that doesn't mean I killed her), but she will not physically appear and meet up with Isaac and all that stuff that you may have been counting on.

Without saying anything specific, I'll tell you that the ending is a bit… ambiguous, but you'll only get to find out how it ends if you _**REVIEW!11!1!one!1!two**_. I meant what I said before, guys; **the ending will never see the light of Internet fanfiction unless I can get at least four or five **(preferably five)** reviews! You may think that I could just say at least four, but when it hits four, I'll **_**consider**_** posting it. When it hits five then it will most definitely be posted as soon as possible.** Sorry for the ultimatum, but I would like to know what people think. I've definitely had around five or six different people (maybe more) review this story, so I know you're out there. Honestly, I could just start working on another fic instead of posting the final chapter to this one; trust me, I have a few ideas for other stories and even a special surprise one that will be mentioned in the A/N of the final chapter.

Now if that doesn't motivate you to review, I don't know what will :P. So, yeah, review and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_

PS: See that box down there; the one right below where I'm writing this where it says 'Type your review for this chapter here'? Yeah, simple as that; just click there, type in some feelings for this chapter, another chapter, or the story as a whole, and click [Post Review]! Wow, thanks, GengaJupite, I never would have figured out how to review without your super helpful tips! "All in a day's work, kiddos."


	23. Happiness

"_Welcome home, Kyle… Isaac…"  
_"_You survived!"  
_"_So did you…"  
__- _Kyle and Dora speaking the final words from _Golden Sun: The Lost Age_

While this quote has no relevance to my story or this chapter, I felt that it was appropriate for an incredibly nostalgic quote to be placed here. Finishing this story is giving me the same feeling I had when I finished the game for the first time all those many years ago. Also, I've decided that my lengthy author's note would best be put at the end, for I have much to say.

Oh, and I must say that I'm extremely happy with the **ten** reviews I got! Seriously, I can't express my gratitude enough, so you've all received a relatively long response :)

Disclaimer: Since this is the last time I'll have to write one for this story, I'd better make it legit. I do not own Golden Sun, it's characters, or any terms or concepts affiliated with it. All rights go to Camelot and Nintendo as its respective owners.

* * *

What began as a rather hectic morning had finally come to a close as the sun touched the peaks of the western mountains. The orange glow of the almost sunset flowed in from the kitchen windows behind Isaac. The room seemed oddly quiet, for no one spoke with Isaac's now-completed story. The three children looked around lazily; having missed their midday naps, they were quite obviously tired. The djinn had inconspicuously managed to float their way over to their elementally respective child adepts and snuggled up against them. Garet had an indeterminate expression on his face, making Isaac wonder if the man was waiting for something or if it was simply his normal face.

"Uncle Isaac," said Karis, the ever-questioning tone in her voice.

"Yes, Karis?"

"What did you and Auntie Jenna do? When you were talking you said that you and her did something bad and then you didn't want to talk to each other after."

Isaac blushed. Of course he hadn't been explicit in his storytelling, they were just children after all! He looked to Garet for help, knowing that the Mars adept would understand his plight, but he was met with a simple smirk. Seemed as though Garet wanted to see what he could come up with. In truth, he could probably just say 'had sex' because the children definitely would not know what that was yet, but Karis would probably ask what sex was, bringing the Venus adept full circle in his attempt to avoid the situation.

"Oh, we did some… grown-up things. Yes, that's right, you guys wouldn't understand if I tried to explain it. We did some bad grown-up things that made both of us very uncomfortable around each other afterward." Isaac sighed in relief when Karis accepted the simplistic answer with a nod.

"Papa, I'm tired," Tyrell yawned, wiping at his eyes as he did so.

"Me too, Uncle Garet," added Karis, laying her head on Tyrell's shoulder.

Garet looked down at the three sleepy children and grinned slightly. Without a word, he lifted Tyrell and Karis (who were still holding hands), and carried them into the children's bedroom. Isaac watched as the Mars adept walked up the stairs before turning back to Matthew, who appeared to be fighting his sleep to no avail.

Rather than following Garet's example, and carrying his son upstairs, Isaac walked over to the couch and took a seat beside his dozing son. He smiled as he reminisced about the day Matthew was born and all the memories they'd had since. This child, this gift from Sol, had made his life unconditionally better since the day he was born, and Isaac silently berated himself for allowing himself to forget that. Softly, he placed his son in his lap and cradled an arm behind the toddler's head. This simple action was enough to send Matthew into the peaceful sleep he'd tried so hard to fight.

"_Master…"_ came Flint's mental voice from between Matthew's arms.

Isaac looked down at Flint, who had been 'sleeping' (since djinn didn't really need sleep) in Matthew's embrace, and tilted his head a bit. "What is it, Flint?"

"_Forgive me, but you seem more… at ease. I'm aware that you've told this story to Garet and Ivan before without such results, and I became curious as to what made this time different from those other times."_

The once depressed man pondered the question for a moment, searching his mind for an answer. It was a legitimate question, as he'd never really felt any less depressed after telling the story before, so Flint had every right to wonder why he'd be feeling any better on this particular occasion. Isaac pondered through the possibilities: perhaps he'd told it enough times to put some of the events behind him, or maybe this feeling was only temporary. However, one specific reason seemed to pop out in his mind, and he was sure that it had to be this one.

"Well, I'd say that it's because of him," said Isaac, lightly rocking Matthew to indicate whom he meant. "In truth, I only had to tell Garet and Ivan about half of that story because they were there during a good amount of the events. I guess telling the entire thing had a different impact on how I felt about the way my life has played out. I've had a lot of ups and downs, but I always kept going, even when things seemed bleak and terrible. Well, if you don't count the time Ivan stopped me from hanging myself, that is."

Flint seemed just as confused as when he had first asked the question. Despite being by Isaac's side for many years, the ways of human logic still baffled and intrigued him. Even in his eternal life, he felt that he would never grow to fully understand humans. How could such simple creatures lead lives filled with such complexity and chaos? Perhaps the true question was how one could possibly choose to make the right decisions when the wrong ones are often much simpler, especially when dealing with something as fragile as the human heart.

But Flint had come to learn that not all humans are weak. Weakness is a subjective term that refers to ones flaws; thus, it is something that can only be seen in the eye of the beholder. Someone like Isaac was incredibly difficult to be placed under the category of strong or weak. Through battles, teamwork, and willingness to sacrifice for the good of others he had proven that he had a strong heart. Contrarily, he had proven his weakness through attempts of suicide, desire for alcohol, and his inability to cope well with emotional distress. What an odd, but always interesting species the djinn had come to lend their powers to.

"Something bothering you, Flint? You still seem a bit confused."

The djinn shook his 'head', _"No, I was just thinking about humans, and what odd creatures they are. I have lived for a very long time, yet never have I fully understood the complexities of the human mind. It seems even non-adepts can lead difficult lives, and yet they are so much simpler than adepts. I hope to someday learn all that I can about humans."_

Isaac smiled at his first djinn friend. He'd never taken Flint for a philosophical type, but was… amused, for lack of a better word, by his ponderings. The sound of heavy footsteps descending the stairs stole the Venus adept's attention, and he turned around to see Garet coming back to take a seat by him.

"Matt's a trooper," said his moustached friend, "I saw him fighting off sleep. Guess he wanted to make sure he heard everything."

"Yeah… it's strange to think that he's so much like Jenna in that respect. I've never been a very persistent person, so he doesn't get it from me. I guess that's how people can tell he's her son too."

"Mm. You seem… happier than you did earlier. Storytelling a stress reliever for you or something?"

"No, it's… it's kinda hard to explain. But I am feeling better, no doubt."

"That's good to hear. So, uh… well, if it's not too much trouble, do you mind finishing up the story for me?"

Isaac blinked. "What do you mean? That's all there is to the story. You've been here with me for the events that followed that last part. Everything leads up to this where I feel slightly better after years of sadness."

"Heh, I feel like I'm the bearer of bad news then. I don't really wanna get you down again, Isaac, but I still never got that explanation out of you. The _real_ reason why you've been so depressed?"

"Oh… right…" mumbled Isaac, casting his gaze back down towards his son.

"I fancy I can make an educated guess before you actually tell me outright. Maybe it'll lessen the pain for you a bit." Isaac shrugged, allowing Garet to go on with his prediction. "Well, it seems obvious enough that it had to do something with Mia's kids. My guess is that you're upset she had kids without you. You knew her promise to always love you could break, but you secretly hoped that it never would."

Isaac shook his head. It was a well thought-out guess, and he could easily see why Garet would think that. He'd once thought that to be the reason, but that fact never seemed to top the real reason; and he realized that this wasn't really anything that had gotten to him. After all, he'd be a hypocrite if he got upset over Mia having children without him, since he'd done exactly that with Jenna.

"I can see why you'd think that, and I'll admit that finding out she'd done that without me was a bit upsetting, but that was never really the reason. If anything, that just added a bit to the list of reasons I was depressed, but it wasn't the main thing."

"Then what, pray tell, could have led you into such a downward spiral?"

Isaac looked down at Matthew, then back up at Garet. "Here, hold him for a minute. I think it'd be best if I showed you. That way you can fully understand my situation."

Garet looked at him in confusion, but took the sleeping Matthew from Isaac regardless. Nodding, Isaac stood up and made his way towards the staircase. When he reached the top, he slowly made his way towards his room. As he crossed the threshold, a wave of uncertainty came over him. Now that he'd actually entered the room, he was second-guessing his choice to let Garet know the reason. His feelings about the whole ordeal were… complicated. Nevertheless, he'd made a promise to his friend, and Isaac had never intentionally broken a promise before. He hesitantly reached for the drawer on his nightstand and slid it open. Luckily, Matthew couldn't read yet, so he must have ignored the letters in the drawer when he earlier went to retrieve the locket. Ruffling through a few papers, Isaac found the two that he was looking for and made his way back into the living room.

"What are those?" said Garet, handing Matthew back to Isaac as he sat down on the couch.

"They're letters from Mia… the only two I've received since she left four years ago."

"She still writes to you?"

"Well, like I said, they're the only two she's sent, so I wouldn't really say so. They're both pretty important, so I think maybe you should read this one first."

Garet reached for the newer-looking document that Isaac was holding out for him. He wasn't really sure what he could expect of this. There were endless possibilities, and saying that they were directly related to Mia wasn't exactly specifying anything. Turning it over so that it was right side up, Garet carefully read the neatly written letter.

_Dear Isaac,_

_I'm sure you weren't expecting to hear from me. I'm more surprised that you actually replied to the letter I sent you a few years ago to tell me what had happened in your life.  
__I'll skip the formalities and get right to the reason that I am writing this letter to you. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I've had another child. You are smart enough to realize that this one, Rief, is not like Nowell. I know I promised to love you, Isaac, and I've hurt myself knowing that I made the same mistake as you did. My feelings for you have never faltered, but I was so lonely without you. This must be an odd feeling for you, since you told me about Matthew in your letter. I can't deny that that knowledge may have sent me into a further despair, but I've grown beyond that. I have no right to be upset or angry with you now that I, too, have borne a child out of loneliness. I can only hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. You are still my one true love._

_Never forget.  
__Mia_

Garet scanned it a couple more times before scratching his head. A few thoughts were running through his mind, but he couldn't seem to piece them together. Would the other letter answer some of his questions? Well, he could only hope so, because he wasn't guaranteed an answer from Isaac.

"Something the matter, Garet?"

"I, uh… well, to be honest, some of the things in this letter don't really make sense to me. The way she words things makes it sound kinda like Rief and Nowell are… I dunno, different I guess. It doesn't really specify what she means, so I'm not exactly sure what it is I'm supposed to be reading. On a different note, I'm not sure how you felt about her saying she still loves you and all. I'd think you'd be thrilled, but then the other thought is that it's kinda like a dagger to the heart since it only makes the fact that you can't see each other even worse."

"At least you're on the right track with your thinking," said Isaac, sounding a bit downcast, but not as much as he had that morning. "Here, if you read this one, that one should make more sense. I had to make sure all of the context was in place before you found out everything."

Garet eyed the letter in Isaac's outstretched hand. It was clearly older than the one he currently held, and had apparently been read many more times. He began to question if he really wanted to find out the reason for his friend's pain. Everything he'd learned about Isaac's life was complicated and upsetting, but here sat said Venus adept, willingly allowing his best friend to discover the deepest secret he'd kept from the world. Glancing back up at Isaac, he was met with a reassuring expression. Hesitating slightly, Garet reached out, carefully grabbed the letter, and turned it over so he could read the tear-stained curvature.

_Dear Isaac,_

_I know that being away from you for only one year is probably an odd time to be writing to you again, but this is something that you deserve to know about. I should have written to you earlier on, but I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you. Now I find myself in a position where I must tell you the news. There is no excusable reason to be subtle, so I will be blunt with this.  
__I have a daughter, Isaac. Her name is Nowell and she was born only a short time ago. I should have told you when I was pregnant, but, as I said before, I was afraid of the pain it would cause you. Afraid not because you thought I may have cheated on you, but because of the fact that I never cheated on you.  
__To put this simply, Isaac, Nowell is your daughter. I knew it would destroy you to know that you may never meet her, but I thought it would be worse to never tell you of her existence. I couldn't keep a horrible secret like that from you, not when you had told me that being a father was your dream. Perhaps someday you will get the chance to meet her. I promise I will do everything in my power to make that happen._

_Don't give up on hope.  
__Love Mia_

Obviously, Mia hadn't given up on prefixing her name with 'love' at that point, but that wasn't exactly the most pressing thing on Garet's mind.

He sat holding the letter, jaw agape, rereading the exact same phrase over and over again. _Isaac, Nowell is your daughter. Nowell. Isaac. Daughter. Your. Is. _Everything about that phrase was an explosion in his mind. Garet was too dumbfounded to speak. He slowly brought his gaze upwards to see Isaac with an unchanged expression. It would seem as though Isaac expected no less of a reaction from what Garet was currently giving to him.

"She… she… you… two kids?" Garet stuttered dumbly.

"Yes, Garet. I have two kids, Mia has two kids, but between the two of us there's only a total of three children. Nowell has two half brothers. Matthew and Rief are not related in any way."

Suddenly, Garet's movement and speaking abilities returned to normal, allowing him to smack himself on the forehead. "Gods, no wonder you never told anyone! I feel bad knowing your deepest, darkest secret! …But… Isaac, I'm so sorry. It must be such a terrible burden to carry. After all these years, you've been upset because of possibly one of the most complex situations I've ever known. I can't sympathize with you because I can't even imagine what it would be like to never meet your own daughter."

"Don't trouble yourself," Isaac sighed.

"Man, I used to think I had issues. I guess it's a little late to tell you I'm here for you. I don't mean to add to your pain, but now I'm more curious about what her kids are like, specifically Nowell. You'd think people who know you and Nowell would see somewhat of a similarity, right?"

"Actually," said Isaac, going towards a desk to retrieve yet another paper, "I heard from Kraden recently. Seems he's actually been in Imil for a few years now. Apparently he's Nowell's early-learning teacher."

"Oh, well don't keep me in the dark, lemme see what he said!"

Taking the third letter from Isaac, Garet skimmed over the lengthy letter, skipping the ramblings and parts he deemed boring.

_Isaac,_

_Greetings and salutations. How have you been these past few years? I suppose that… blah blah blah psynergy blah blah blah Imil blah blah studies…  
__I must say that I was rather surprised to find Mia living here without you. After the tragedy in New Vale, I knew the two of you would go to Kalay, but I was surprised to find only Mia back in Imil… blah blah relationships blah blah…  
__I suppose things cannot always work out, and you have my condolences over such an unfortunate turn of events. I'm sure you know of Mia's child, Nowell, though. My, even for a toddler, she certainly is a striking image of her mother, extremely intelligent as well. Oddly enough, I cannot stop myself from being reminded of you when I am watching her learn. I teach many of the young ones here in Imil, but she is remarkably similar to how you behaved, except that you were a teenager and she is an infant. Nevertheless, she shows signs of remarkable leadership amongst the others, and prefers to learn by doing rather than reading. No matter, I'm sure there are many children with similar personalities. It is in the genes… blah blah blah…_

_Write soon, and keep me up to date with whatever it is you are doing. I am most interested.  
__Kraden_

"Ugh, that man does not know when to stop talking! I'm surprised he fit this all on one piece of parchment."

"Yeah, but I'm sure you just skipped to the parts about Nowell, anyway. That was why I gave you the letter, and I wouldn't expect you of all people to read a letter from Kraden."

"Well, well, looks like jokester Isaac is back!" chuckled Garet.

Isaac chuckled as well. It felt good to feel like his old self, even if it was for only a brief moment. It was times like these that he would cherish, for good things didn't seem to happen often in his life as of late.

"Anyway," said Garet, "I should probably get back to that errand for Ivan. If he's coming tomorrow to pick up Karis, then he'll be wanting it done by the time he gets here."

With that, Garet took his leave of Isaac, making his way towards the office down the hall. Isaac stayed on the couch for a minute, slightly rocking Matthew back and forth in his arms. He quietly gathered together the three letters Garet had placed on the couch and carried Matthew up the stairs to put him to bed. As he climbed the stairs, Matthew began to stir a bit, catching Isaac's attention.

"Dada…" he mumbled sleepily.

"Oh, Matthew, I was just about to put you to bed. Tyrell and Karis are already there."

As they reached the top, Matthew asked Isaac something that he was clearly not expecting from his son. "Dada, are you happy?"

"…Well, yes, I'm feeling pretty happy."

"No, I mean are you a happy person?"

Isaac stopped outside of the children's room and looked down at his son's face. The boy was clearly still groggy, but he was waiting for an answer. What could a father tell to his young son in a situation like this? Oddly enough, this was something Isaac thought about quite often. Was he happy with his life? How many things did he have to be happy about? Some questions were straightforward, while others were a bit more philosophical. Of course, the one that he could not seem to find a definitive answer for was probably the most appropriate: What is happiness? Of course, Isaac could simply lie and say that he most definitely was happy, but he disliked the thought of deceiving his son. No, the best course of action was always to do what was right, no matter the consequences.

"To be honest, Matthew, I'm not sure. I'd like to tell you that I am a happy person, but that would be a lie. I know I haven't been a very happy man for a long time, but I promise that I'm going to try."

"Don't worry, Dada, I won't leave you."

"Hmm? I didn't think you were going to."

"I know, but I know it makes you sad when people leave you. Mama left you a long time ago and Miss Mia left you before I was born. Both of them made you sad, so I won't make you sad."

Isaac couldn't help but chuckle. While he was never worried about Matthew abandoning him, he certainly enjoyed that his son was intelligent enough to piece together something like that. As he chuckled away, Isaac felt a gentle hand touch his cheek. Stifling his laughter, Isaac looked down and smiled at his son. Shifting his hold on Matthew onto one arm, he brought his other hand up to his son's and allowed Matthew to grip around his pinky. It was in that moment of recreating the very first physical contact Matthew ever made with him that Isaac realized what his happiness was. No amount of material items or swooning women could ever amount to the feeling he had right then: love for his son.

"You aren't sad, are you, Dada?"

"No, Matthew, and I won't be sad ever again. This I promise."

"Is something making you happy?"

Isaac smiled and kissed his son on the forehead. The young boy barely reacted, but a small smile replaced his curious expression. There was only one answer to Isaac's happiness. For the first time in a long time, he was feeling confident. He could tell his son the answer to this question without hesitation, and he would fully stand behind his answer until the day he died. Smiling at his sleepy son, Isaac closed his hand around Matthew's tiny hand, and allowed the newfound happiness to replace the depression that clung to his heart. One word, one reason, one family.

"You."

* * *

I can't believe it's finally over. I know the finale is probably much shorter than everyone was expecting, but **it isn't quite over!** **You can skip past this lengthy author's note if you just want to read the ending.** Really, the reason I put this here is because I had two endings for this story, but I couldn't decide on only one to use. Therefore, the first ending is up there^ and the second one is after all of this. That might sound weird, but trust me it'll make sense since they don't take place at the same time as each other.

Anyway, wow, I still seriously can't believe I'm done this. I mean, yeah, I started it back in mid-November, so it's not a ridiculously long amount of time that I've been writing, but I almost feel like it's been a stepping stone in life :P. I still remember back to the summer of 2012 when I was contemplating over and over if it was too nerdy to write a fanfic. Eventually I just said screw it and started plotting it out, since I already had ideas in my head. Still, it feels great and a little saddening to see this end. Oh, and I'd like to congratulate **AnriMia24** for correctly guessing Isaac's turmoil. I dunno if anybody else guessed it; I tried to downplay the lovemaking between Isaac and Mia so that people wouldn't really think anything of it. However, clever little Anri over here was observant enough to piece it all together.

Technically the story isn't over since there's a little more to be read down below, but I'm writing all this out after I finished writing out the conclusion. If anyone's wondering about a sequel; no, there won't be a sequel, but when you read the conclusion, you'll see that this is not the end for this story… that may sound confusing, but you'll understand once you read it.

On the note of other stories, I'm planning on writing a **GS crossover series** with games like Xenoblade Chronicles, Kingdom Hearts, and Radiant Historia. The first 'book' in the series is called _**Connection: Sol and Monado**_ so check it out if you're curious or bored. The first one is gonna be mostly GS and XC, so you won't have to know too much about the other two, but some KH knowledge would be helpful. Honestly, I'm not writing that story for popularity (since crossovers don't tend to get too much attention I find), but more because I have a fair amount of game knowledge all compiled in my head, and I'd like to sort of empty it out in a way, so making a story out of it seems like the best way. I've got a plot worked out and everything, so there's no issue about it just being random crap thrown about everywhere.

I'm also planning on writing a **Kingdom Hearts** fic too, so if you aren't big on crossovers or KH then I'm sorry to say that I'll be taking a little break from GS for a while. I like to keep my mind fresh, so lingering around in one fandom when I've got so much love for many more seems illogical. If you _are_ a KH fan, then this is good news for you! It's going to be a RokuNami-based fic with a bit of SoKai and possibly others, though it's central to Roxas and Naminé. It's called _**All's Fair in Love and War**_ (cheesy, I know), so check it out if you get the chance.

My brain also decided that it would be a good idea to think up the plot for an **Fire Emblem** fic, so, yes in case you're wondering, this does mean that I'll be working on three stories simultaneously -_-. It's not that I can't handle the pressure, but I was kinda like 'ugh wtf, brain, do you want me to die?' Well, regardless, it's gonna be an AU high school fic (I know, typical, eh?) that crosses over characters from all of the FE universes that I've played. Since I haven't played FE 1-5 (well, technically I played Shadow Dragon and Heroes, so 2, 4, and 5), you won't see any characters from Gaiden, Seisen no Keifu, or Thracia 776. If I decide to put any in, they'll have minor roles since I don't really know their personalities and such. It also has the most ridiculously random pairing for the main ship, but I won't spoil it for you. You'll see when I post the first chapter since it'll be in the story description. Look for a story called _**Crossfire**_ or just visit my profile.

Worry not, GS fans, for I shall return to my roots later on in time. People have been giving me some suggestions, so I'm sure I won't run out of ideas. In the meantime, you can check out my oneshot, _Clear as Mud_, or eagerly anticipate the next installment in this series. Again, there's no sequel, but… you know what, just read the conclusion, you'll understand what I'm saying!

Anyway, I have some people to thank for standing by my story for all this time, even when it got really sad and depressing. **CruelRuin **and **Hanabro**, I thank you guys for your kind words and such. Even though you both were only around to review for a short amount of time, I enjoyed your thoughts and words. **Proxian, Holly3500, Golden Sun Guy 17, jaime, **and **bearclaw13**, even though I only got one or two reviews from you guys, I appreciate that you took the time to do so. All I wanted was to hear from people, so I'm glad that I got to. And last, but most certainly not least, **Mr0cheese** and **AnriMia24**, my favourite reviewers of this story. Not only did you review every chapter (you were close enough, **Mr0cheese**), but you each wrote an extensive review for each one. My apologies for that ultimatum on reviews, because I feel that it was mostly going to affect the two of you. I'm very glad that there are people like you who will take the time to read and review each and every chapter, so thank you. Thank you all, in fact. I won't be doing this for every story I write, so be glad that you were a part of the first one :). I apologize if I missed anyone: if you've only reviewed chapter 22, then you aren't on this list, but your response is just below.

With that being said, to the people who reviewed chapter 22, we all thank you, for this conclusion would not have made it here without you! Also seems like people wanted, sorry, _"expected" _to have Garet lay a beatdown on Isaac. Sorry, folks, it was never in my plans to have him do so from the moment I plotted that scene in November.

**CruelRuin: **You certainly know how to compliment, that's for sure :). In terms of the reviews, it wasn't so much that I was afraid people didn't like my story (I also wouldn't say I'm on par with the best, but thank you!) as it was I wasn't getting feedback from many people. Lately it's just been you, cheese, and Anri with maybe one other every once in a while. I just started getting frustrated since I already had a pretty good idea of how you guys felt about it, and I wanted to know what other people were thinking. As it's been stated above, my next works won't actually be centralized around GS. Unless I do some oneshots or something, I don't plan on writing the next one for some time. I do like the Piers idea, though I'm more of a romance writer, so I might have some difficulty writing a non-romance adventure story, but I will look into the idea. Again, if you haven't, check out my oneshot and read the conclusion down below to get a glimpse of my next GS story. Until then, it's been a pleasure getting your feedback :).

**Proxian: **Worry not, friend, for I'm not hurt by the lack of reviews. If anything, I feel guilty for making that ultimatum in the first place… On the outside it looks like I have tons of reviews (fifty something at this point), but it's only because it was the same people reviewing each chapter. Anyway, I'm glad that you took the time to do so even though you have to work. I'm honoured that you would say my mudshipping fic is your favourite, as I'm sure you've probably read more fics than I have. I think I only started getting into them around mid 2010 or something so only about 2.5 years, and that's on and off, mind you. As for duskshipping, I've never really had much standing in Felix's relationships, other than kind of liking lighthouse. That being said, I won't trash the idea of writing a dusk fic; it probably won't be a priority, but if I come up with any ideas, I'll be sure to write them down.

**Mr0cheese: **Damn, had people been reviewing as quickly as they did for chapter 22, I think I would've finished the story at least a month ago :P. I also had a chuckle when you said the Garet anger thing because you're the third person in a row to have expected something to come of that. Hopefully it wasn't an issue with my characterization of him, but I never planned for Isaac to get beat up. Besides, it looks like you understand why he didn't. Anyway, Golden Sun is gonna take a backseat to Kingdom Hearts and Fire Emblem for the next little while (unless you read the crossover I'm making), so at least I know you'll stick around for FE (at least I hope so). GengaJupite class changes to Grandmaster! :P

**BritRecon: **Dude (I'm assuming you're male, judging by the limited amount I saw on your profile), I'll get to your flattering words in a second, but that pun made me laugh. At first I was like …so he wrote support in all caps… wait… wait a second… LOL Oh, you. This guy *points to you*, this funny SOB right here, made a pretty simple pun that made me laugh for longer than it probably should have. If you read all of this ridiculously long author's note you'll know that I do intend to carry out an FE fic, though it's honestly the randomest crap I think anyone would have ever thought of. Seriously, I won't tell you the main shipping, but rest assured it's never been done before (probably because no one thinks like me :P). Anyway, I can't thank you (or anyone else who's said it) enough for giving this story such praise. Honestly, I thought it was dying out when I was going through the depressing chapters, but these kind reviews have given me hope for my future works! As it's been said, I won't be staying in GS for the time being, but I know you'll be there supporting my FE fic to an A rank.

**AnriMia24: **I, too, hope that you smiled at this, and if none of what happened above made you smile, then what happens in the actual conclusion is almost guaranteed to. I'll bet that cookie on it :P. This story probably wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you constantly there to review it, so I thank you most of all. Hopefully you'll still be around for the next GS fic I write. It won't be mudshipping central, but there will still be mudshipping included. The crossover I'm writing is also mudshipping, but then I don't know if you follow other games, so I wouldn't want you to be confused by the other games involved and such. I'll be back at some point, though, I promise.

**tutien99: **Well, I hope you weren't disappointed with Mia's downplayed reaction to Matthew's conception. I suppose I could have made it more detailed than just the implication that she didn't write to him for a couple years, but I didn't think it would be all that realistic if she told Isaac everything in a letter. The jewel in the locket (which he did touch, actually) changes to represent the colours of the heart of the one who touches it and the heart of the person they truly love. Mia didn't want him to touch it because it would still be connected to her heart until he touched it, meaning that it would show whom she truly loved. He touched it anyway out of fear of seeing it someday change colour, meaning that she had fallen in love with someone else. I think I actually read the first chapter of your story, but then started getting too busy to continue. I'll revisit it at some point, but it may not be for a while because I've put quite a workload on myself.

**bearclaw13: **Odd as it may sound, I'm glad you pointed out the things you didn't like and any issues you saw; after all, my work isn't perfect. Had I changed the plot around a bit, I'm sure I could have made Tyrell's birth legitimate, but since I didn't want Garet to lay a beating down on Isaac I had to have a reason that would stop him. I agree, Garet was kind of OOC (the part that was getting to me was the disgraced honour part), but I had trouble trying to get him back in character at such a trying time in both their lives. As for FE, I'm only on my second playthrough, but my first one is at 75 hours or something because I was trying to get all the supports to an A level (something I still haven't completed). The only reason I started my second one is because I wanted to use a female tactician (though I like the portrait of female Morgan much better than the male one).

**Mr. E Box: **Short, sweet, simple; I approve. Thank you, sir! The main point was to have it stay canon even though that required the opposite shipping from my preference. It seems I've been able to get quite a few non-mudshippers interested in the story, so I'd say that's the biggest accomplishment here though :)

**Meteor64: **Now this is the review I've been waiting for! I'm not going to say that I was looking forward to a critical review, but I was actually hoping to receive one (hopefully that makes sense :P). I'll have to go back and reread how the beginning is written to see what you mean about formality, because I haven't really looked at the earlier chapters since they were posted. I have to apologize for the repetitiveness of the dialogue and descriptions (like Isaac's Mia worship), as that's something that's plagued my writing for years. While it seems to work well enough on essays and papers thankfully, it did make me a bit nervous to start writing this in the first place (as the public's opinions are more important that my profs' :P). I tried to make the sex thing make sense, but I understand where you're coming from since I, too, felt that I was pushing it a bit with that length of time. Unfortunately I made them start dating pretty early on, so ten years is what I had to deal with. As for the element adept thing, I'm really bad with descriptions (as I pointed out above with my repetitiveness), which resulted in a lack of different ways to refer to each person. I don't think I would've used the examples you gave me (no offense), but I definitely could've spent some more time on that. Unfortunately, in that respect, I already finished editing by the time you said that, and couldn't be bothered to re-edit everything again, so there is still an abundance of 'element adept's in this finale. I think what I liked most about this review is that you've made it clear to the other reviewers (whom I've tried to convince as well) that I am not perfect, especially when it comes to storytelling and writing. As I said in some chapter earlier on, I think the most suitable way to describe me is an efficient writer but nothing more. I get my work done to a satisfactory degree, nothing more nothing less. And as for FE, I feel bad that you have to wait so long, but you're gonna love Awakening. My favourite things about it were definitely the new classes and support system, so if that's the kind of stuff you're into then you'll be drooling as much as I was.

**Memmola: **Aw yeah, manly tears are always welcome in the sad parts of my story :). I'm always worried that my love or sadness sections will come off as stupidly cheesy, so it's reassuring when people respond the way I want them to! Not really sure what else to say, you had a relatively short, straightforward review. Thanks for taking the time to do so and hopefully my break from GS won't turn you away from my work by the time I've returned!

I suppose this has gone on long enough, hasn't it? Well, thank you all for sticking by this story, and I promise that this isn't the last you'll be hearing of me. Don't forget to review once you're done reading the conclusion, and check out my soundcloud!

_-GengaJupite_

* * *

It was a bit cloudy over the Goma Plateau, then again it couldn't be worse than those ominous, purple-tinted clouds that showed up to the east. Forty-seven-year-old Garet sat in his office, scribbling down the words at the end of a rather large book. Dotting the period of the final sentence, he blew on the page to dry the ink. He closed the book confidently and stared at the front cover for a moment. Flipping it open to the blank first page, a look came over his face as if a lightbulb went off in his head. Happily, he neatly wrote down a title, careful to make his curvature as tidy and fancy as possible. Content with his work, he left it open to dry.

"So that's what you've been working on for all this time," came a voice from behind him.

Garet jumped at the sound of his companion's voice. Since when did he get so stealthy? Then again, the Mars adept had to admit that he'd gotten quite absorbed in his work. "Isaac! You scared me!"

"Heh, I didn't even sneak in, you were just too into what you were doing. That's quite a title you've created. I didn't think you could be such a poetic, literary person, Garet," Isaac jeered.

Garet glanced back down at the title he'd created for the book. Honestly, he didn't think it to be all that interesting. It was just two little words followed by a few more words. Still, he had to admit that the fancy font he'd written it in _did_ make it look a bit more sophisticated.

_Blue Fire  
__Memoirs of a Mars Adept_

"Yeah, well, I figured I'd write down my story. You know how you had yours from all those years ago when you told the kids? Well, this is basically my story from the same time frame."

"Ah, so it's like a parallel to mine. Interesting."

As the two were talking, a knock sounded from the front door. Isaac swiftly made his way there while Garet waited another minute for his ink to dry. They had been expecting the kids to return with the Roc's Feather sometime soon, but weren't expecting them for at least a few more months. As the Venus adept approached the door, another set of knocks sounded. _Gee, talk about impatient people. Not like we get a ton of visitors anyway._ He was met with complete surprise when he answered the door.

"Isaac. It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

He was speechless. Both people before him were giving him their own form of surprise. They were both familiar; however, Isaac felt that he only recognized the man who spoke. He wasn't really getting a good look at his companion, for she hid behind the man. Isaac heard a gasp from behind him, indicating that Garet had just entered the room and also had the same reaction.

"P-Piers? What are you doing here?" Isaac finally managed to say.

"Er, it's a long story. I'll explain it to you in a bit, but right now there's someone that I think you should meet."

The young woman behind him stepped to his side and looked the Venus adept up and down. Despite having never met her before in his life, Isaac knew who she was instantly. Other than the bulbous purple hat and two pigtails instead of a ponytail, she was a spitting image of her mother. He wanted to speak, but found his voice to be caught in his throat again.

"I-it's nice to finally meet you, sir," she said timidly. Sol, she even _sounded_ like her mother the first time he'd met her. "I suppose I should probably tell you my name. I'm-"

"Nowell," he said before she could finish. "You're Nowell."

A smile graced her beautiful face, and he could see tears begin to form in her eyes. Either that or it was because tears were causing his own vision to blur. She didn't back away or cringe when he reached his hands up to grasp her shoulders. It was as if he couldn't tell if she was real or not. He'd dreamed of this moment for sixteen years, and now it was finally happening.

"I've waited so long to meet you, Nowell, and now I finally have. Nowell, my beautiful daughter."

He was gripped in an embrace that he instantly returned to the girl who had, up until a few moments ago, been a complete stranger to him.

"Oh, father, I, too, have waited a long time to meet you!" she said tearfully.

He held her tightly, never wanting to let her go; as if she would leave like Mia had. Isaac could feel the locket pressed against his chest grow warm. He loosened his grip from Nowell to click it open. The Gift of Venus glowed brightly, the gold and blue jewels producing light and heat from the rekindled love he felt for Mia. Even after seventeen years away from her, his love had never dwindled. This union with their daughter only reminded him of his undying love for the Mercury adept. Nowell smiled, knowing full well what this item was, and a tear slid down her cheek to know that the blue and gold colours still proved Isaac's love for her mother. Seeing the girl who looked so much like Mia had when they were young made him remember the feelings from when he first held her hand, became her boyfriend, proposed to her, and reunited here at the cabin with her. The feelings of giddiness, joy, elation, and true love.

"How did you know where to find me?" he asked her, still in disbelief that he was speaking to the daughter he thought he'd never meet.

"She told me about you; where you live, what you're like, and what your dreams were in the past. It's been a long time, but she's been waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

Nowell smiled, oh how she resembled Mia so. Isaac wished he could return to his youthful days when he didn't have a care in the world. The days when he could sit by a fire with Mia were some of the best of his life, and in Nowell's smile he could see all of his days of love and joy flashing before him. His daughter took his hands in hers and looked him in the eye, piercing him with his own crystal-blue eyes.

"You."

_The End_


End file.
